Shifting Sands: The 197th Hunger Games (SYOT)
by Pierana
Summary: The rebellion failed. Hope is lost. District 13 fell under the control of the Capitol. The Capitol was even more harsh on the Districts than they were before. Worst of all, the dreaded Hunger Games Continued. 26 Tributes will be sent into the Arena to fight for their lives, and only one will survive; the Hunger Games are here. Closed, but you can still read!
1. Submission Form

_The rebellion failed. Hope is lost. District 13 fell under the control of the Capitol. The Capitol was even more harsh on the Districts than they were before. Worst of all, the dreaded Hunger Games Continued..._

 _The Night before the 197th Annual Hunger Games Reaping._

The moon was shining bright that night.

The glass of champagne met Amanta Mortel's lips as she took in the view from her balcony.

It was a cool and crisp night. It was the night before the reaping. A wicked smile graced Amanta's lips as she thought of the people in the Districts. They must be filled with dread at this point. Two innocent children would be ripped from their grasp and forced into the Games.

The Hunger Games truly fascinated Amanta. Ever since she was a young girl, she would watch the games closely. The way the human psychology reacted to the horrible realities of the arena kept her enamored. Nothing satisfied her more than watching others reach their breaking point and snap. She truly loved to see people at their worst.

Now that she was president, she felt like she was at her highest point in her political career. Reaching her current position required years of lies and deception. But it was all worth it now that she had nothing but power.

She leaned back into her chair and took a moment to relax. Her days were now filled with important meetings and decisions, and having time to stop and think was a rarity. She ran her hands through her magenta hair, which was always pulled back into a tight bun.

She finished her glass of champagne and walked back inside.

It was an important day tomorrow, so it was necessary for her to be well rested.

She removed her makeup and stared at her youthful face in the mirror. She was still beautiful despite the fact that she was nearing her forties and had the most stressful job in the nation.

She laid down in her bed and stared up at the ceiling. Tomorrow was her favorite day of the year.

She couldn't wait to see the tributes for this years games.

 **Welcome to the 197th Annual Hunger Games!**

 **Set over 100 years in the Future of the canon Books, you can assume that any canon character is now dead. Panem has changed, but also stayed the same. The Capitol is cruel, and the districts suffer. Children still tremble in fear of being reaped into the Games. However, now there are 26 tributes. District 13 was forced to submit to the Capitol, and has now moved away from Nuclear Engineering and is focused more on Medicines and Pharmaceuticals. The damage done to the districts and to the Capitol has now been rebuilt.**

 **This is an SYOT, and I'm extremely excited to see they amazing boys and girls you guys submit! Here is the form, and below the form, just a little reminder of what each District specializes in.**

* * *

 **RULES/INFO**

 **1) Not first come first serve, I'm instead just looking for the best group of Tributes possible.**

 **2) Please send in a PM, not a review!**

 **3) This story will be written in third person.**

 **4) The form will be on my profile**

 **5) Have fun making your tributes! Please send me a PM if you have any further questions.**

* * *

 **OKAY enough talking from me, here is the form!**

 **SYOT FORM:**

 **INFORMATION**

 **Name:**

 **District:**

 **Age:**

 **Gender:**

 **Personality:**

 **Appearance:**

 **Backstory:**

 **Family:**

 **Friends:**

 **PRE-GAMES**

 **Reaping Outfit:**

 **Reaped/Volunteered:**

 **Reaction to Being Reaped (If they were reaped):**

 **Reason for Volunteering (If they volunteered):**

 **Who says Goodbye to them:**

 **Idea for Chariot Outfit:**

 **Interview:**

 **Token (If they have one):**

 **What they do during Training:**

 **Training Score (Not guaranteed to be their actual score):**

 **GAMES:**

 **Weapon:**

 **Allies (yes/no, If so, with what kind of people would they align with?):**

 **Bloodbath Tribute? (Even if you say you want them to survive the Bloodbath, they still have a chance of death):**

 **Any other information?:**

* * *

 **District 1: Luxury**

 **District 2: Masonry**

 **District 3: Technology**

 **District 4: Fishing**

 **District 5: Power**

 **District 6: Transportation**

 **District 7: Lumber**

 **District 8: Textiles**

 **District 9: Grain**

 **District 10: Livestock**

 **District 11: Agriculture**

 **District 12: Coal Mining**

 **District 13: Medicine**

 **I'll update soon to show what districts are taken, I love you all!**

 **-Pierana**


	2. Life in District 13

**Welcome back! We still have plenty of open spots, so keep submitting! I only have three tributes so far.**

 **Anyways, here is another chapter! This bit highlights what life in District 13 is like more than 100 years later and under Capitol rule!**

 **This chapter is in first person, which I rarely use. Anyways, Enjoy!**

 **(DISCLAIMER: This is not a reaping chapter. Those will be much longer and won't start until I have the entire pool of tributes. Lacto is just a random D13 resident who I'm using to give an explanation about life in D13)**

 **Okay, now enjoy!**

* * *

 **Lacto Ignez, District 13 Resident:**

As I rolled out of bed, I looked out the window. The sky was overcast, and I sighed.

It would be another typical day.

I was tired of the monotony of life. Why, of all places, did I have to live in the district that receives the harshest treatment from the Capitol?

District 13 had always been mistreated more than all of the other Districts. Ever since the Revolution, led by Katniss Everdeen, failed, and District 13 was forced under Capitol rule, the Government kept an eye on us at all times.

Those Capitol snakes loved nothing more than to see us suffer. They loved to see us at our worse.

They hated us for almost beating them.

I would love nothing more than to start a revolution and stick it to them. I hate this country. The rich got richer, while the poor got poorer. The evil people had power, and this country was corrupt because of it.

District 13 wasn't the poorest District, but we certainly didn't have a lot. Most of us had almost nothing, but some of the doctors and pharmacists made a good living and lived in nice houses. They didn't have to worry about their next meal.

I lived with my wife. We were both 30. We had no children, because we don't want to bring a child into this world when we know we would never have the funds to properly care for an innocent child.

Both me and my wife, Jelah, had jobs in a rundown store that sold general necessities for the poorer people in the District. We didn't make much, but it was something. Unemployment was high in our district.

I got ready and left the house, without eating breakfast. I stepped out into the streets of District 13. District 13 was still partially underground, but most of the district was now above ground. In our neighborhood, the houses, if you could even call them that, were very rustic. The shacks we lived weren't much, but it was something.

I walked down the crowded and dirty street toward the store, hoping that one day, things could be different. Maybe one day, we would have full stomachs, clean streets, freedom, and the children of our country wouldn't have to worry about being reaped into the dreaded games.

* * *

 **The Following Spots are still available!**

 **District 1: Luxury**

 **-Male**

 **District 2: Masonry**

 **-Male**

 **-Female**

 **District 3: Technology**

 **-Male**

 **-Female**

 **District 4: Fishing**

 **-Male**

 **-Female**

 **District 5: Power**

 **-Male**

 **-Female**

 **District 6: Transportation**

 **-Male**

 **-Female**

 **District 7: Lumber**

 **-Male**

 **District 8: Textiles**

 **-Male**

 **-Female**

 **District 9: Grain**

 **-Male**

 **-Female**

 **District 10: Livestock**

 **-Male**

 **-Female**

 **District 11: Agriculture**

 **-Male**

 **-Female**

 **District 12: Coal Mining**

 **-Female**

 **District 13: Medicine**

 **-Male**

 **-Female**

* * *

 **That's all folks! Sorry for the short update! But keep sending in those tributes!**


	3. Tribute List

Hey guys! Pierana here! Just wanted to give another update on the remaining tributes. We still have plenty of open spots!

Also, for anyone wondering, yes, you can have multiple tributes.

As you can see, I deleted the last update, and replaced now that we have a new tribute and reservations.

* * *

 **Current Spots:**

 **District 1: Luxury**

 **Seraphina "Sera" Newsome (17)**

 **Prodigy Lampar (18)**

 **District 2: Masonry**

 **Celeste Laurent (17)**

 **Prometeo Cordiani (18)**

 **District 3: Technology**

 **Mimi Night (16)**

 **Android Vesta (14)**

 **District 4: Fishing**

 **Briony Pike (17)**

 **Bream Narrows (18)**

 **District 5: Power**

 **Moira Mintte (15)**

 **Rusty Telman (15)**

 **District 6: Transportation**

 **Ericah Wheeler (16)**

 **Ayrton Rosenthal (18)**

 **District 7: Lumber**

 **Mortikai Hart (17)**

 **Ash Birchwood (18)**

 **District 8: Textiles**

 **Ashlynn "Ashe" Steppe (15)**

 **Aren Demaire (18)**

 **District 9: Grain**

 **Abilene Contritum Hanley (16)**

 **Barric Morti Skovgaard (18)**

 **District 10: Livestock**

 **Minnie Davis (15)**

 **Lane Galeburg (18)**

 **District 11: Agriculture**

 **North Lindell (17)**

 **Wren Arthur (16)**

 **District 12: Coal Mining**

 **Reya Foreman (17)**

 **Levi Versoy (13)**

 **District 13: Medicine**

 **Diana Rackett (16)**

 **Darren Lafayette (17)**

* * *

 **That's all! Sorry for another short update that is just like the last one, just trying to get some more tributes.**

 **-PIERANA**


	4. The Mentors

**Welcome back!**

 **This chapter will give a description on all of the mentors for these games.**

* * *

 **District 1:**

 _ **Victor of the 193rd Hunger Games: Stark Lockwood, Female, Won the Games at age 17**_

Stark dominated the game alongside her fellow careers. She is remembered for pretending to be in love with her district partner, and slitting his throat in the middle of the night at the Final Five. She went on to hunt the rest of the tributes and win the Games.

 _ **Victor of the 176th Hunger Games: August Rippon, Male, Won the Games at age 17**_

August is extremely charming and attractive. He was the Capitol favorite during his time in the Games and received a large amount of Sponsors. His fellow careers grew jealous of his popularity and turned on him, but he swiftly cut them all down with his sword. A few days and a few tributes later, he was crowned the winner of the Hunger Games.

 **District 2:**

 ** _Victor of the 182nd Hunger Games, Leona Simmer, Female, Won the Games at age 16_**

Leona was an unusual District 2 tribute. She trained for the Games her entire life and volunteered, but instead of aligning with the Careers, she chose to go with some of the younger tributes from the outer Districts. She protected them as much as she could, but they ultimately perished. She is known for her motherly nature.

 ** _Victor of the 181st Hunger Games, Garen Val, Male, Won the Games at age 18_**

Garen is remembered for being respectful to his opponents during the Games. He didn't drag out any of his kills, and fought with honor. He is prideful and takes training his tributes very seriously. He is respected as a winner and as a mentor.

 **District 3:**

 ** _Victor of the 184th Hunger Games, Trixie Vonn, Female, Won the Games at age 15_**

Trixie Vonn; positive, energetic, and innocent. These are all words that come to mind when anyone thinks of her. She tried to remain optimistic during her time in the Games, which attracted multiple alliances. She managed to win the Games with only 1 kill, which was a mercy kill for someone who was slowly bleeding out.

 _ **Victor of the 158th Hunger Games, Bennett Hamilton, Male, Won the Games at age 13**_

Bennett was extremely scrappy and resourceful during his time in the Games. His arena was a gigantic junkyard, and he used trash lying around and fashioned them into weapons and traps. He was underestimated by his competition, and outsmarted them with ease.

 **District 4:**

 ** _Victor of the 192nd Hunger Games, Lorelei Palmer, Female, Won the Games at age 18_**

Lorelei was an unstoppable force during her time in the Games. She was swift and strong, and the biggest threat in her Games. Multiple tributes met their violent ends at the hands of her and her battle axe. She has a dominant personality and ruled over the career pack.

 _ **Victor of the 188th Hunger Games, Clarion Poole, Male, Won the Games at age 17**_

Clarion is extremely laid back and relaxed. He also can perform well under pressure. Like most Tributes from District Four, he is an excellent swimmer. He played dumb during his time in the Games, causing other tributes to underestimate him, which ultimately lead to their downfall later.

 **District 5:**

 ** _Victor of the 166th Hunger Games, Sharon Sharpe, Female, Won the Games at age 14_**

Sharon is critical of others and highly acid tongued; which caused her many problems during the Games. After many insults directed towards her fellow tributes, she was a large target for many in the arena. However, she was still very clever and she managed to evade the other Tributes. At the Final three, she found the pair from District 1, and sneaking up from behind, quickly dispatched them for the win.

 _ **Victor of the 183rd Hunger Games, Julian Ampere, Male, Won the Games at age 18**_

Julian had the look of a career. He was strong, stocky, and powerful. He agreed to join the Career pack, but after seeing how brutally they killed the other Tributes at the Bloodbath, he ran off into the forest, away from them. He tried to avoid killing others, but if someone initiated a fight with him, he quickly overpowered them and finished them off quickly.

 **District 6:**

 _ **Victor of the 185th Hunger Games, Pamela Odessa, Female, Won the Games at age 14**_

Pamela created a large Anti-Career alliance with other tributes from the outer Districts. The members of her alliance that survived the initial Bloodbath launched an attack on the Career Camp on Day 6. All members of her alliance and all of the Careers died, except for Pamela herself. That signified the end of the Games, setting a record for the shortest Games ever.

 _ **Victor of the 175th Hunger Games, Kingsley Koror, Male, Won the Games at age 16**_

Kingsley won during a Quarter Quell, with the twist being that "Not even the power of love can overcome the power of the Capitol." This meant young couples were reaped into the games together. Kingsley was reaped alongside his girlfriend, Patty. Kingsley vowed to protect her until the very end. Unfortunately, Patty was killed by Lizard Mutts halfway through the games. This caused Kingsley to spiral out of control, and he hunted down other tributes out of pure rage. He still is not over her death, and will grow angry at the mention of Patty, as he believes that he failed her.

 **District 7:**

 _ **Victor of the 172nd Hunger Games, Mabel Lionne, Female,Won the Games at age 16**_

Mabel was the sole caretaker for her younger sisters after her parents died. Her being reaped into the Games was a disaster. She knew that if she didn't come back home, her siblings would have nobody to take care of them. With that in mind, she fought her way back home, becoming one of the biggest underdogs ever.

 ** _Victor of the 187th Hunger Games, Nikolai Yates, Male, Won the Games at age 17_**

Nikolai, although still young, is one of the wisest people in all of Panem. He doesn't say much, but when he does talk, you should listen. He's a very skilled fighter and went out of his way during his Games to hunt down the strongest tributes first. He is known for always being responsible with his mentoring duties.

 **District 8:**

 ** _Victor of the 190th Hunger Games, Cheyenne Goreski, Female, Won the Games at age 17_**

Cheyenne was selfish and deceptive during her time in the Games. She would gain the trust of others, and then quickly back stab them as fast as possible. She used others for her own benefit and mentally outwitted the other Tributes enough to give her the win.

 _ **Victor of the 174th Hunger Games, Hansel Ester, Male, Won the Games at age 16**_

Hansel is remembered for his spiral to insanity during his time in the Games. After witnessing multiple gory deaths, he received extreme therapy when he returned home from the Games. Hansel is doing better in recent times, although he still acts out on the occasion.

 **District 9:**

 ** _Victor of the 170th Hunger Games, Maren Graye, Female, Won the Games at age 15_**

Maren was born deaf and was forced to compete in the Games without a sense of hearing. It was amazing that she won by using her other senses to her advantage. Thanks to the Capitols technology, she is now able to hear, and her story inspires others.

 ** _Victor of the 160th Hunger Games, Albert Crowley, Male, Won the Games at age 15_**

Albert acts as a fatherly figure to anyone he mentors. He cares deeply for the poor children who get reaped, and it pains him to see them perish in the arena. He acts very kind to anyone he meets and has lots of respect for Maren.

 **District 10:**

 _ **Victor of the 194th Hunger Games, Fern Drawl, Female, Won the Games at age 18**_

Fern was perfectly content with her life before she was reaped; she was getting ready to move in with her girlfriend, and had just gotten a new job when she was plucked from District Ten and forced into the Games. She managed to win, but things were never the same. Her girlfriend tries to comfort her through her nightmares about the Games, by Fern knows that she won't ever be able to escape the thoughts Hunger Games.

 ** _Victor of the 196th Hunger Games, Winston Walsh, Male, Won the Games at age 17_**

Winston, the most recent victor, was a shocking winner. After suffering a severe injury on the second day of the Games, no one expected him to make it much farther. However, through pure grit, he managed to hang on and climb his way to the end.

 **District 11:**

 _ **Victor of the 195th Hunger Games, Nessa Petro, Female, Won the Games at age 12**_

Nessa won the Games at the mere age of 12. She did not kill a single person. Her strategy was to hide the entire Games and eat plants she knew were edible. The Capitol is not fond of her as a winner due to her "boring" strategy. Now she is forced to mentor tributes at only 14 years of age, due to her victory occurring only two years ago.

 ** _Victor of the 121st Hunger Games, Harvey Winds, Male, Won the Games at age 14_**

Harvey is a frail old man. His Games are barely remembered, as not only did they occur a long time ago, but they also went by quickly because of a mistake by the Gamemakers. They accidentally released too many mutts at the start of the Games, which caused most of the tributes to die from them instead of each other.

 **District 12:**

 _ **Victor of the 171st Hunger Games, Carissa Carmine, Female, Won the Games at age 16**_

Carissa is, in a word, a rebel. She disrespected the Capitol and Gamemakers as much as possible. The Head Gamemaker attempted to interfere with the Games by silencing Carissa with a lightning strike, but his attempts failed and she went on to win the Games after she pushed the Capitols favorite tribute that year, the girl from District 4, off a cliff.

 _ **Victor of the 178th Hunger Games, Duncan DeLafont, Male, Won the Games at age 16**_

Duncan is an adrenaline junkie who performed multiple stunts during the Games that could have possibly killed him. After returning home, he broke laws just for fun. He was recently released from a bit of jail time after he was caught beating up Peacekeepers. The Capitol always keeps a watchful eye on him. He's popular among teenagers in the Capitol who enjoy his thrill seeking antics.

 **District 13:**

 ** _Victor of the 179th Hunger Games, Grace Arnine, Female, Won the Games at age 18_**

Grace was a teen mother who left behind her two year old daughter when Grace was sent into the Games. She was ruthless in the arena and made it back home to District 13 to be reunited with her Daughter once the Games came to a conclusion.

 _ **Victor of the 177th Hunger Games, Wallace Siren, Male, Won the Games at age 17**_

Wallace is very flamboyant and outgoing. He got through the games by relying on his allies to do his dirty work for him. Once it was down to the three of them, he swiftly took them down with his throwing knives. Now, he is the Capitols lap dog and has his own fashion line and TV show in the Capitol. He is one of the most well liked winners among Capitol citizens.

* * *

 **Who will be your favorite mentor! Tell me in a review! Also, please submit! I have tons of open spots still.**

 **-Pierana**


	5. The Escorts

**Sorry that we have another Pre-Reapings chapter. I swear the Reapings are gonna start very soon! I just need the cast to fill out a bit more.**

 **Today, we meet our 13 amazing escorts!**

* * *

 **The Escorts:**

 _ **District 1 Escort: Ruruka Asato (23):**_ Ruruka is very selfish and stuck up. She is brutally honest and will tell you what she thinks, not taking anyone's feelings into consideration. She is a straight-shooter and doesn't beat around the bush. She acts coldly towards her tributes and takes her escorting duties very seriously. She is very punctual and expects the District 1 tributes to be respectful.

 ** _District 2 Escort: Maurice Stamp (45):_** Maurice is very outgoing and kind. He tries to treat the District 2 tributes well and keep them calm and content before they enter the arena. He is known for his large and warm smile.

 _ **District 3 Escort: Zya Shokke (30):**_ Zya has a very unique style and personality. She is very cool and calm, and she is a bit sarcastic. She never gets overwhelmed and usually gets along fairly well with the tributes she is escorting. She also has shown to be a tad bit rebellious at times.

 _ **District 4 Escort: Audina Sounde (39):**_ Audina is very collected in public. She treats the tributes well since she knows they are preparing for a stressful time in the arena. She is very lenient and does not get frustrated if her tributes are running late.

 _ **District 5 Escort: Arissa Arquette (39):**_ Arisa is very friendly and gives good advice on how to behave for the Capitol citizens. She is good at consoling any tributes and talking them through their fears of entering the arena.

 _ **District 6 Escort: Pierce Cinabold (60):**_ Pierce has been doing his job for years. Although he has been offered to move up into career districts, he has refused and insisted on staying in District 6. It is unknown why, however.

 _ **District 7 Escort: Lynx Sprinne (37):**_ Lynx has a very odd personality. She is obsessed with plastic surgery and has gotten cosmetic enhancements to give herself a more feline appearance, including sharper nails and fangs.

 _ **District 8: Calliope Soldana (34):**_ Calliope is very nurturing and protective of the tributes she is in charge of. She is defensive of their actions, and pities them and their situation of going into the Hunger Games. She became an escort because she wanted to help children cope with being reaped.

 _ **District 9: Cosimo Ozmald (51):**_ Cosimo is very shallow and loves his Capitol lifestyle. He doesn't care about the well being of the tributes, and instead cares more about fame and money. He is obsessed with appearing youthful and is deeply offended if someone calls him old.

 _ **District 10: Antonio Charles (22)**_ : Antonio is a huge Hunger Games fan and has watched every previous Games. He is very outgoing and friendly. However, he is not very empathetic and fails to comprehend why the tributes are scared to go into the arena, as he believes that it is an "honor".

 _ **District 11: Hyacinth Palindrome (37):**_ Hyacinth is the most quiet and soft spoken of the escorts, but she will always speak up and act more outgoing during the Reapings then she actually is. She is very smart and loves intellectual conversation.

 _ **District 12: Bibiana Taylor (31):**_ Bibiana has a feisty streak. She is very friendly and loud, but she is also sassy if anyone challenges her. She loves having a good time. She hopes to be promoted to a better district, since she finds District 12 to be "boring".

 _ **District 13: Radia Curie (19):**_ Radia is young and this is her first year as Escort. She is very nervous for her first reaping but hope that it will work out fine. She is very innocent and kind, and she is friendly. She is very small physically, but she has a loud voice.

* * *

 **And that's all of the Escorts! Sorry again about still no Reaping Chapters, but I promise, they are coming!**

 **Thank you guys for sending some amazing tributes in! I can't wait to see the rest!**

 **-Pierana**


	6. District 1 Reaping

**Welcome to the very First Reaping Chapter**

 **Today, we have our District 1 Tributes. Thank you to Featherflight123 for submitting Seraphina, and captain-random64 for submitting Prodigy!**

 **Also, not every aspect of a tributes personality or backstory will be highlighted in the Reapings, I have to save some of it for later chapters!**

 **Let's waste no more time, here are the start of the Reapings!**

* * *

 _ **Seraphina "Sera" Newsome (17), District 1 Female**_

 _Well, the days finally here._ Seraphina thought to herself as she woke up. It was Reaping Day. She knew she would volunteer, as she was the top of her class at the training academy. Oddly enough, she didn't feel even a little bit nervous. She felt confident in her decision to volunteer. She had years to ponder this decision, after all.

Seraphina walked out into the kitchen and realized she was the last to wake up. Her entire family was in the kitchen, besides her parents. She had three older brothers, Hercules, Magnus, and Erasmus, her twin. She found a plate of breakfast waiting for her. "Since it's your special day, I decided to make you an omelette." Xanthippe, Seraphina's sister in law, smiled at her.

Seraphina thanked her. She wasn't used to kind gestures like these, since her parents never paid her much attention while they were alive. They had wanted all sons, and Seraphina had messed with that. It wasn't like they mistreated her, but she was certainly neglected.

 _I wonder if they would be proud of me right now._ Sera thought to herself. Her parents had died in a freak accident outside of a bar when she was just 13. Seraphina was upset and channeled her emotions into her training in the time following their deaths. Her, Magnus, and Erasmus moved in with Hercules and Xanthippe after the incident.

Seraphina's brothers never trained for the Games, but they were definitely successful in the District. Seraphina never had much family time with her brothers, but she filled in the empty space with other things. She loved to dance and was quite good at it. She would stay at the studio for hours, perfecting her steps with absolute grace. Seraphina could do anything she put her mind too and excelled at her training and dancing. Her dancing not only helped pass the time and make new friends, but the balance and agility she picked up could come in handy in the arena.

She enjoyed reading and writing as well, and kept a journal filled with her thoughts. Another way she passed the time was spending time with her boyfriend, Atlas. He was 21, and Sera's brothers had no idea he was a part of Seraphina's life. She was fine with keeping Atlas a secret.

After eating, Seraphina said a quick hello to Euterpe, Xanthippe and Hercules's daughter, before heading her room to get ready. She looked at herself in the mirror. She had long and curly dark blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes. Her skin was tan, her lashes were long, and she had a few freckles across her nose. She was stunning, although she didn't feel that way herself. She felt insecure in her own skin, likely due to her parents disappointment in her, but she would never admit the way she felt about her appearance to anyone.

She stopped thinking negatively for the moment and put on her reaping outfit, A black skater dress with golden metallic floral designs on it and black leather sandals. She put on just a little bit of makeup and decided to wear her hair down for a change, since most of the time, she had it in a ponytail.

"I'm gonna go hang out with Esme for a bit," Sera shouted to her brothers as she walked out of the house for a bit. This was a lie; although Esme was her best friend, Sera planned to see Atlas before the Reaping.

She walked to his house, which was fairly close to her home. He opened the door and instantly gave her a kiss before letting her inside. "You look beautiful." He said. Sera gave him a hug and smiled, not believing it, but she was still thankful for the compliment anyways.

They sat down together. They had been in a relationship for a year, and Seraphina felt like she could tell Atlas anything.

"So are you nervous?" He asked.

"I'm really not. I guess I've had all of these years to mentally prepare myself." She responded.

"Just make sure..." He trailed off.

Seraphina sat up. "Make sure of what?"

"Just make sure you come back...I can't lose you." Atlas admitted.

"Of course I'm going to come back." Seraphina assured him. "I've been working so hard for this. If I didn't think I could win, I wouldn't volunteer in the first place." She rubbed his arm. "Just trust me, okay."

"Alright." He said, wrapping his arms around her.

"Well, I guess it's time to go." Seraphina said as she checked the clock.

It was her time to shine.

* * *

 ** _Prodigy Lampar (18), District 1 Male_**

Confidence was a great trait to have. However, for some people, their confidence was far too high. This was the case for Prodigy, who's ego could barely fit into any room.

It was an early morning in District 1, and Prodigy was in the training center, slicing up a dummy with a kama sickle. "Let me help you with that," A man whispered into Prodigy's ear. The man was Topaz Poril, the winner of the 191st Hunger Games. Topaz came up behind Prodigy and grabbed the sickle, guiding Prodigy's hand into slicing off the dummies head.

"Thank you," Prodigy said with a seductive smirk. Prodigy loved to flirt and was a great people person. He especially got on well with other men.

"Of course." Topaz said, his hand lingering on Prodigy's arm for a brief moment before he stepped back. "I suggest that you go get ready for the Reaping now."

Prodigy had lots of history with Topaz. When Prodigy was younger, he was walking home from school one day, when Topaz and three other boys cornered him in an alleyway and beat him up. Ever since then, Prodigy has refused to show weakness in anyway and has a lot of pride.

Topaz went on to volunteer and win the games with 4 kills. Another boy that participated in Prodigy's beating, Lousse, volunteered the year before Topaz did, and was killed in the arena.

On certain days that Prodigy was at the training facility, Topaz would drop by, which caused the two boys to develop an interesting dynamic, filled with hate and sexual tension. Neither of them had acted on it, since Prodigy didn't see a point. He would be volunteering himself, and he was sure that he would do even better than Topaz did.

Prodigy began walking home. The sun was beginning to rise. He began taking a cold shower. As he rinsed, he thought about how his family would be impacted if he died in the arena. He wondered if they would even care. They were strict and always pressured him that appearances were everything. They cared more about the family image then they did for him.

 _It doesn't matter what they think anyways._ Prodigy thought to himself. He didn't plan on dying in the arena, and after he won, he could move into the Victors Village and leave his parents behind. He would have his own image as a victor to tend to.

After he was done showering, he stepped out and looked at himself in the mirror with a smirk on his face. He knew he was attractive. He had deep green eyes and coffee brown hair, which was styled impeccably. Not to mention the fact that he was tall and strong. Prodigy was aware that this made him sound very superficial and egotistical, but he really couldn't care less.

He went into his room and put on his reaping clothes; a white buttoned up shirt and black pants. After he was ready, he headed downstairs. His parents sat on the couches, waiting for him.

"We need to talk to you." Prodigy's father said. Prodigy let out a sigh and took a seat.

"You need to talk about our family name with pride while your in the Capitol." his Mother said.

Prodigy's father nodded. "If you disrespect us, you will regret it."

"I've heard this speech a thousand times!" Prodigy said angrily. "I get the message, okay?" He then walked out of the house to get some fresh air. He considered going to visit some of his friends before the ceremony. He didn't have any super close friends, but his social nature had garnered him countless friends from school.

He ultimately decided against it. Today was about him, Prodigy Lampar, and no one else. Just how it should be.

* * *

 _ **Seraphina "Sera" Newsome (17), District 1 Female**_

Sera headed to the Reapings along with Atlas. Once they arrived, they embraced for a few moments and then went in separate directions. Seraphina quickly got her finger pricked. The pain really didn't affect her now that she had been to quite a few reapings.

Since Seraphina was 17, she headed straight for the second to the front section, marked off for her age group. She stood in the very front row, since she already knew she was volunteering. The other girls chattered around her, waiting for the ceremonies start. They gossiped about their dresses and makeup, but Seraphina ignored the conversations. Normally, she would be right with them discussing these kind of subjects, but at the current time, she was focused on getting ready for her moment.

Ruruka Asato, District 1's Escort, made her way onto the stage. She was wearing a large, pink fur coat, yellow shorts, knee high socks, and pink boots, along with a little green hat on her head. She had an innocent, sweet face, strawberry blonde hair, and icy blue eyes. She looked innocent and sweet. "Attention, District 1. Look to the front of the stage. Now." She commanded in a fierce tone. "Today we will select two tributes to represent District 1. As always, ladies first."

Seraphina was glad that Ruruka didn't waste time rambling about how much of an honor it was to compete. Sera already knew that it was an honor.

Ruruka walked over to the glass bowl filled with the names of the girls in District 1. "Ruby Radonna."

Seraphina looked to her left as an 18 year old girl began walking towards the stage.

"Do we have any volunteers?" Ruruka asked, emotionless.

"I volunteer as tribute." Seraphina said proudly, raising her hand.

Seraphina began strutting towards the stage, and took her place next to Ruruka. Ruby walked back down to join the other girls.

"What is your name?" Ruruka asked.

"Seraphina Newsome." She smiled charmingly. "I'm honored to represent District 1 this year."

* * *

 ** _Prodigy Lampar (18), District 1 Male_**

Once Prodigy and his parents arrived at the Reaping, he broke off from them and walked toward the sign in tables. A few girls from school talked to him for a moment, but he quickly moved on from the conversation. He was exhilarated to be volunteering. He finished checking in, and made his way toward his appropriate age group.

He was greeted by multiple other boys that he trained with, all congratulating him on being selected by the academy to volunteer. He gave them all a wide smile, glad that the attention was on him.

Suddenly, Ruruka, the escort, came onto the stage and started the ceremony.

She first pulled out the name of a girl, who walked up onto the stage. She was quickly replaced by a volunteer girl, named Seraphina.

She was stunning, but Prodigy has seen plenty of attractive people in his life. He recognized this girl from Training, but he knew they had never talked before.

"And now, for the boys." Ruruka said, opening up a slip of paper. "Mondo Delure."

A 15 year old boy took a few steps toward the stage, but Prodigy was ready. "I volunteer!" He shouted. Everyone's eyes were instantly upon him. He basked in the glory. He began toward the stage, flashing a smile at the audience. He loved every second of it.

"I'm Prodigy Lampar, this years Victor." He introduced himself into the microphone, agitating Ruruka who had not asked for his name yet.

"Now, shake hands." Ruruka ordered.

Seraphina extended her hand, and Prodigy quickly took it, giving it a firm shake.

"Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor." Ruruka finished icily.

The Reaping concluded, and Peacekeepers began directing the two volunteers into the building behind them.

* * *

 _ **Seraphina "Sera" Newsome (17), District 1 Female**_

A female peacekeeper lead Seraphina into a bright room with a few chairs and nothing else. Seraphina waited for about a minute, and suddenly, the door pushed open, revealing her family.

Her brothers congratulated her and each gave her a hug, while Xanthippe stood back, holding Euterpe.

"We are very proud of you!" Xanthippe said. "Right?" She nudged Erasmus.

"I guess so." He said. "Just make sure you come back alive. I don't want to be related to a career who dies in the arena."

"Wow, thanks." Seraphina said with a light laugh. For the most part, the goodbye was casual. They had all been anticipating this for years.

They left, and Esme came in next. "You're my best friend, so please come back." Esme said.

"Of course." Seraphina promised. She pulled Esme in for a hug, and just like that, she left.

Atlas was the final visitor. He gave Seraphina a tight hug. They stayed like this for a minute before separating. "I want to give you this." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ruby with two wings engraved on one side and a heart on the other.

Seraphina gave him a kiss. "I love it!"

They enjoyed their last few minutes as a couple, and then the Peacekeeper told him to get out. "I love you, Sera,"

"I love you too." She responded.

The door closed behind him. She had said goodbye to everyone. Now, her main objective was victory.

* * *

 ** _Prodigy Lampar (18), District 1 Male_**

Prodigy was extremely satisfied with the way he handled the Reaping.

 _Well, let's see what dad's gonna nitpick about it._ Prodigy thought to himself. He could not be more excited to be free from his parents soon.

Just as he had these thoughts, they walked in.

"We told you to be confident, not cocky." His mom scolded.

"That's just the way I am." Prodigy responded, hoping to piss her off.

"That's not the way I raised you!" She said.

Prodigy ignored her.

"Well son, you better win." His father said after a few moments of silence. "We didn't raise you to be a loser, that's for sure."

"I'm going to win. It's a fact at this point." Prodigy gave a fake smile.

His parents looked back, unphased and unemotional. Prodigy's charm worked on everyone, except for his parents.

Prodigy was relived when the Peacekeepers told his parents to leave.

Prodigy sat down as he waited for the train to arrive. Nothing stood in the way of him and winning the 197th Hunger Games.

* * *

 **Well, the First Reapings are done! I hope you enjoyed it** **!**

 **T** **ell me what you thought of the two characters this chapter. I hope I did them justice.**

 **I'm just now getting back into writing, so sorry If I'm a little rusty.**

 **I hope you liked reading anyways!**

 **Don't forget to tell me what you thought of the chapter and the two tributes introduced here!**

 **Thanks everyone! See you next time!**

 **-Pierana**


	7. District 12 Reaping

**Welcome** **back! Now you may be wondering, why is today's Reaping District 12 instead of District 2?**

 **Well, to answer that, I'm still waiting on the District 2 Female. The spot is reserved, I'm now just waiting on the form.**

 **But I was sick from school today, and I was feeling really inspired to write, so I decided to write a random District. I ultimately chose 12.**

 **Thank you to Quail of Cards for Reya and to me, Pierana, for Levi!**

 **Fun fact, I wrote this WHOLE ENTIRE chapter on my phone. Rip my fingers.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 ** _Levi Versoy (13), District 12 Male_**

Levi sat outside in a patch of grass, staring off into the forest longingly. In his opinion, District 12 was a terrible place, filled with muted colors and a lack of hope. Everyone seemed bored and tired of their lives, and starvation seemed like an everlasting issue. Nobody in District 12 had any fun. It was all work and no play.

Levi absolutely hated his District. He had dreams of being an actor in the Capitol. He knew deep down that they would never come true, but he still spent every passing day dreaming of what it would be like.

Everyday felt formulaic. He would go to school, come home, do chores, and wait for his parents to return from work in hopes that they had some precious food. Most of the time they didn't.

This showed on Levi. Just like most of the other kids at his school, he was skinny from malnutrition. He was also fairly short, which made him look even smaller. He had chocolate brown eyes and short blond hair.

Just as Levi was lost in his thoughts, he heard his mom yell for him to come inside to get ready for the Reapings.

Levi shivered upon hearing the word. He slowly walked inside and began washing off his hands and face. The thought of the Hunger Games was a complex topic for Levi. When he was younger, he used to watch the games quite often as he thought everyone was just acting. Levi credited the Hunger Games as the thing that got him into acting in the first place. However, as Levi grew older, he realized that the Games were in fact a cruel reality, and the children that entered the arena were actually dying horrific deaths.

Levi wanted no part of it. He had dreams, and he wasn't gonna let the Capitol stop him from finding his place in the world.

Levi put on a white shirt and green pants that were fairly clean. These two articles of clothing were the nicest thing he owned. He waited patiently at the kitchen table, longing for food. He saw his sister, Vetta, trudge into her room.

Vetta was typically downcast and she was slow to move around, but Levi noticed that she looked even more hopeless than usual.

Levi decided that he would go check on her. He opened the door and saw her scarfing down a piece of turkey.

Levi's eyes grew wide as he saw his sister eating without him. "Where did you get that?"

"Get out of my room!" Vetta shouted, slamming the door on Levi.

He felt hurt. He couldn't believe that his sister had food and wasn't sharing. He began to wonder if Vetta had been hiding food for a long time, or if this was a one time thing. He had a feeling that she had been doing this for awhile.

Now that he thought about it, Vetta didn't seem as malnourished as he was. Levi's feeling of hurt turned into anger, an emotion that felt foreign. The only time he ever felt angry was when hid parents told him that the Hunger Games were real, and not an act. He remembered the feeling of betrayal that stuck with him back then.

 _Why does everyone have to lie to me?_ Levi came to the conclusion that he was too trusting of people. He couldn't even trust his own family.

Levi considered telling his mom about what Vetta had done. She would be furious. But Levi ultimately decided against it. He had bigger things to worry about, after all.

* * *

 _ **Reya Foreman (17), District 12 Female**_

Reya felt like the shell of a girl. She hadn't felt any emotions for months. All she felt was an eternal sense of grief that scratched at her with a dull, numbing pain.

It was three months ago today that her soulmate, Asher, died in the mines. He was 22 and had been working for awhile when it happened; out of nowhere, a small cave in started, which caused the death of Asher. He was the only one to die in the accident.

Reya was crushed; it was like her entire life had been shattered to pieces. She had her whole life planned out with him, and in an instant, it was all gone.

She only left her bed when she had to, and she had grown cold to her family. She had both of her parents who worked most of the time, and a younger sister, Berkeley. Reya would only eat if Berkeley fed her. Reya didn't have the energy to do it herself.

Reya not taking care of her body has staggering results on her physically. She was like a skeleton, and her skin was pale from the lack of sunlight. She grew angry towards the world.

For District 12, Reya's family was in decent shape financially. Her parents worked ungodly hours, which provided them with decent money. They certainly weren't rich, but they didn't have to worry about putting food on the table.

It was Reaping day, and after some coaxing, Berkeley managed to get Reya out of bed. Reya's brown hair was tangled and her brown eyes look devoid of any feeling. She ate a little bit that morning and put on a gray dress. This was the most motivation that Reya had shown for months.

Reya herself didn't even know why she was being active today. She decided that it was most likely out of fear of punishment if it was found out that she skipped the Reaping. She wasn't in the best shape, but she certainly wasn't on her deathbed.

Despite the cloud over Reya's head, she still wanted to live. She dreaded the Reaping. Luckily, she didn't have to take out much tesserae because her parents weren't struggling as much as other families.

Before Asher's death, Reya was friendly and had a warm smile. It had been months since she had showed this smile to anyone.

Berkeley sat down by Reya. "Are you nervous?" Reya asked with a deadpan tone.

Reya's sister was excited that her sister was talking. "Yes, but my name is only in once, so I guess the odds are in my favor." Berkeley joked, hoping to get a smile out of Reya.

It did not work, and Reya didn't say anything for the rest of the meal, but Berkeley felt content with the amount of life Reya was showing today.

* * *

 ** _Levi Versoy (13), District 12 Male_**

Levi stood nervously around the other thirteen year old boys in the roped off section. A few boys made small talk, but most of them stood silently, patiently waiting for the ceremonies to end. Everyone felt anxious on Reaping day.

Levi's nervousness doubled as Bibiana Taylor, District 12's escort, stepped onto the stage, large glass bowls filled to the brim with names on either side of her.

She was wearing bright red lipstick and a sparkly red dress. It looked fairly normal for a Capitol Citzen, but she still stuck out among the greys in District 12. "Happy Hunger Games!" She shouted loudly. "On this glorious day, two of you will be lucky enough to represent your home in the 197th Annual Hunger Games!" She attempted to lift the crowd's spirits, but nobody showed any signs of excitement. Everyone frowned back at her.

"What a lively crowd." She muttered sarcastically. "I suppose I shall get right to the names then."

She walked over to the first bowl. "Ladies first."

She returned to the microphone. "The Female tribute for District 12 is..." She paused, the anticipation building, moment by moment. "Reya Foreman."

A girl from the 17 year old section walked out. _She does not look so good._ Levi thought to himself.

The girl was shaking like a leaf. She climbed the steps slowly. Levi noted that she looked as if she could pass out at any second.

He watched her shaking form closely, barely even listening to the next name.

"Levi Versoy."

Once it registered that Levi had been called, his face grew pale. It felt like a moment from a drama sequence. He was expecting someone to tell him that it was a joke, and he wasn't actually going to go to the arena.

Levi quickly remembered that this moment was televised. He put on his best acting face and gave a shaky smile to the cameras, hoping that no one could tell how nervous he really was.

The moment was sickeningly real. Levi was going into the Hunger Games.

* * *

 _ **Reya Foreman (17), District 12 Female**_

Reya and Berkeley both flinched at getting their finger pricked. Berkeley helped Reya to the 17 year old section before Berkeley herself went to the 12 year old area.

Reya felt out of place among the other girls. She used to be friends with many of them, but she had disappeared and hadn't talked to them for months. She quickly learned about all the rumors regarding her hiatus. The other girls whispered and giggled to eachother while looking at her.

This only made Reya feel even more insecure. She just wanted to get this reaping over with and get back home.

Bibiana had given a small introduction to the District before she went over to the female bowl. Reya was felt confident that it wouldn't be her, since she had very few slips in the bowl compared to the other girls around her.

"The Female tribute for District 12 is...Reya Foreman."

Reya was shocked. She had finally left her house, and this is what happens. She began shaking as she slowly made her way to the stairs. She felt a tremendous weight on her shoulders. It felt extremely heavy, and Reya thought she would pass out at any moment.

Each step felt like a challenge. She stood next to Bibiana, her whole body still cold and shaking.

Bibiana called out the males name. "Levi Versoy."

Reya noticed a nervous expression on the boys face before he smiled at the camera.

 _How could he smile about this?_ Reya thought to herself. She felt disgusted. She hated anyone who found anything positive about the Hunger Games.

The boy climbed the steps. "Are you going to shake hands or what?" Bibiana pressed. Her excitement from earlier had vanished, as she wanted to get promoted to a better district but had a feeling that neither of the two tributes selected were Victor material.

Levi quickly extended his hand. Reya scowled for a slight second, and then offered a shaking, bony hand to the much smaller boy. They shook hands, and just like that, the Peacekeepers were upon them, shoving them into the Justice Building.

* * *

 ** _Levi Versoy (13), District 12 Male_**

Feelings of terror dominated Levi's mind as he sat down, contemplating what had just happened. He felt hopeless.

His family bursted into the room, immediately giving him a tight hug. "I'm so sorry son." His Dad said, tears springing into his eyes.

Levi's mom, who was usually stone cold, even had tears rolling down her cheeks. "My baby..." She wailed.

"I'm so sorry..." Vetta said, her eyes glazed over. She was staring off behind Levi. He could tell she felt guilty for what she had done earlier.

Levi didn't say anything. He didn't want to give any false hope to his family, since he knew his odds of winning weren't great. He was small and had never used a weapon in his life.

The Peacekeepers returned and ordered Levi's family to leave. His mom gave him one last squeeze before turning around and walking towards the exit, her face still covered with tears. "You can win." His Father tried to encourage him. He then followed his wife out.

Vetta was about to leave, but she then ran back to Levi and looked at him in the eyes. "Please win...I can't let your last memory of your sister be of me hoarding food. I know it was a horrible thing to do. I'm sorry." She began sobbing into her hands.

A peacekeeper started pulling Vetta away. "I forgive you." Levi shouted to her.

The door closed, and Levi was left in silence.

He didn't actually forgive Vetta yet. He recalled all of the times he had felt pain from being so hungry. All the while, his sister had a stockpile.

He lied to her to spare her feelings. Levi didn't want her to feel even worse, since he already knew his family would be in shambles due to his name being pulled.

Levi mourned the fact that his dreams really would never come true. Suddenly, a spark of hope lit up within him. Perhaps if he won, he could finally start his acting career in the Capitol.

It was a long shot, but perhaps this could all work out for him.

* * *

 _ **Reya Foreman (17), District 12 Female**_

Hope was in short supply for Reya. Getting reaped was just as devastating as Asher's death. She felt like she wouldn't be able to go on.

She was still shaking violently. She felt cold, like she was already dying.

Her family came in, with Berkeley being the most shaken.

Everyone was crying, except for Reya herself. She didn't even want to shed any tears. She felt like crying even one would break her.

"You have to win!" Berkeley cried out. Reya didn't respond. She just started at her sister, in a daze.

Reya felt like she should say something to comfort her sister. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. _What is wrong with me?_

Everyone waited for Reya to say something, anything. But she never did. There was nothing to say. A few moments later, her family was ripped away in one grieving mess. The Peacekeepers slammed the door shut.

Reya felt a small dosage of comfort after grabbing onto her necklace. It was gifted to her by Asher. It was her most prized possesion. She hoped that they would allow it as her token.

That necklace was one of the only good things she had left to cling onto.

* * *

 **And those are the District 12 tributes!**

 **Thank you for the reviews last chapter.**

 **Tell me your thoughts on Reya and Levi!**

 **Thanks for reading and submitting great characters!**

 **-Pierana**


	8. District 5 Reaping

**And welcome back! Today, we visit District 5.**

 **Thank you to the Void Goddess for submitting Moira, and IciclePower33 for Rusty!**

* * *

 _ **Moira Mintte (15), District 5 Female**_

Moira sat at her desk in her room, thinking through her Math homework carefully. She was two years ahead in all her subjects, and the smartest kid in school by a landslide.

Moira enjoyed going to school. She would jump at any opportunity to learn something new and advance her knowledge.

Her mind was ruled by logic. Each decision she made was completely unemotional. She had no empathy for others, as she believed anything bad that happened to someone was based purely on their own poor choices. Her unique perspective on people made her a social outcast.

Her parents, who were scientists, had work off for the day, and Moira was glad to have intellectual conversation with them. Moira aspired to follow her parents footsteps and become a scientist.

She got along much better with adults than people her age, as she found most teenagers to be simple-minded and immature. She was revolted by their rotten behavior and didn't hide it, which left her with no friends in her age group.

She was fine with this, as she just befriended her teachers in the meantime. They understood her much better. The teachers cared about stuff that actually mattered in the long run. Additionally, Moira had no other siblings, but she didn't mind. She didn't have the time to entertain another sibling anyways.

Moira looked just like her parents. Moira had long, red hair that she mostly kept in a bun, out of her way. She had green eyes and very fair skin, and sharp cheekbones. She also had thick, black glasses that stayed on her face permanently.

Moira had no other siblings, but she didn't mind. She didn't have the time to entertain another sibling anyways.

"Are you nervous for today?" Moira's mother asked.

"Of course not. My name is only entered four times, which is a microscopic number compared to the other children of District Five. The odds of my selection are extremely low." Moira responded.

Moira's family wasn't rich, but they weren't poor either. Moira didn't get any tesserae, as her parents didn't want to increase the odds of Moira's forced participation in the games. They insisted that they didn't need it anyway. Moira's parents had a lot of pride, and this trait passed onto their daughter. Moira would not let anyone talk down to her or embarrass her.

She believed that the reason she didn't fit in was because she was on another level than anyone else; no one could understand her.

Moira and her parent went on to discuss what her parents were currently working on, a topic that Moira was passionate about. She was always suggesting way for her parents to perfect their methods.

Afterward, she went to her room and put on her reaping outfit. Moira did not like to wear dresses, and she instead opted for black pants, a white shirt, and black jacket. Moira was not obsessed with her looks and always wore whatever was most suited for what activity she would be facing that day. Even her smallest decisions throughout the day were well thought out.

Moira continued to make progress on her homework, until her parents called her downstairs to leave for The Reaping, which agitated Moira, who only had one problem left.

 _I'll finish it when I get back_ _._ Moira thought to herself.

* * *

 _ **Rusty Telman (15), District 5 Male**_

"See you guys after the Reaping!" One of Rusty's many friends shouted to him from across the field they were in. Rusty smiled and waved back. He began walking home alongside his best friend, Sullivan.

"Well that was pretty fun." Rusty commented with a grin, referring to the game they were playing.

"Yeah," Sullivan replied sadly.

Rusty had a good read on people, and he could immediately tell that something was wrong with his friend, who he had known since they were toddlers. "I'm just a little stressed out about the Reaping, that's all." Sullivan admitted.

"You'll be fine," Rusty said, full of empathy. "I'm sure you won't get pulled."

"I just have a feeling something bad is going to happen." Sullivan said.

"You think this every year. Just try not to worry about it." said Rusty.

"Alright, I'll try." Sullivan said as he reached his house.

Rusty walked the rest of the distance to his home alone. He let out a sigh and stuffed his hands into his pockets. Being alone was one of his least favorite things in the world. Rusty loved to talk and could chat with anyone for hours on end. Being silent felt like a waste of time.

His outgoing personality made him pretty popular among his peers at school. Everyone loved him, although nobody took him seriously. Rusty had shaggy red hair and warm brown eyes. He had elvish features, with a pointy chin, high cheekbones, and curved eyebrows. He was quite pale and had a good deal of freckles on his face. He also had noticeably large ears. He never had to deal with any bullies, since his friendly personality was attractive to even the most stoic of people.

Rusty was pretty short and had a stocky build, but he was pretty skinny from a lack of food. His parents owned a butcher shop, but they didn't have a large deal of business. District 10 exported most of the meat around the country, and Rusty's family simply sold meat for families that couldn't afford the expensive stuff from the Livestock District.

Rusty entered the his house, and gave a warm smile to his brother, Dean.

Dean glared at Rusty and entered his room, slamming the door shut. Rusty wasn't phased by his brother hostile actions. Dean was like that all of the time. This resulted in Dean having very few friends, which made him hate Rusty and his popularity.

Rusty put on a white shirt and blue jeans, which were both baggy hand me downs from Dean. He waited in his room for a few minutes, dreading the coming Reaping. Although Rusty could find the light in any situation, the Reapings were an exception; children were being picked to die. Not much to smile about there.

Rusty's parents banged on the door. "Reaping. NOW."

Rusty sighed and left his room, being forced to face the Reapings head on.

* * *

 _ **Moira Mintte (15), District 5 Female**_

Moira waited in line to sign in. She noticed the girl in front of her panicking about getting her finger pricked. "Pain is all in your head..." Moira muttered under her breath. The girl gave her an odd look.

After signing in, Moira headed straight to her age group, not talking to anyone. She tapped her foot impatiently. She just wanted to get the Reaping over with as fast as possible. She wanted to go back home. But of course, the Escort was running late.

After what felt like an eternity, Arissa, the escort, arrived. Her signature Afro was dyed yellow and she had on a honeycomb dress. _Her theme this year is bees? Really?_ Moira scoffed at how ridiculous she looked. She didn't understand how people could willingly publically humiliate themselves by wearing an outfit like that.

"Well, we are running a bit behind, but don't forget how important today is! You are honoring your District if you get selected." Arissa announced with a warm smile. "I will now pull out the female's name." She gracefully walked over towards the bowl, grabbed a paper, and opened it.

 _Could she go any slower?_ Patience was certainly not Moira's strong suit.

"Moira Mintte." Arissa read the name slowly. Moira froze up for a moment. She was not expecting this.

For once, Moira, who always knew what to do, wasn't sure what her next move was.

She stepped towards the stage, and quickly deduced that she should try and look confident and fierce. The Capitol citizens loved that, and it would increase her likelihood of sponsors.

 _A perfect plan._ She tried to comfort herself with these thoughts, but they couldn't stop the intense fear she felt in that moment.

She climbed onto the stage, staring off into the crowd. _I guess the odds weren't in my favor._

* * *

 _ **Rusty Telman (15), District 5 Male**_

As soon as Rusty arrived at the Reaping, the other fifteen year old boys quickly started up conversations with him, all glad to see a familiar face in the crowd. Rusty didn't mind at all, since he loved these kind of lighthearted conversations, especially at a time like this. Anything to distract him from what was about to happen.

He was so wrapped up in his interactions with the others that Rusty didn't even notice that Arissa was running late. She quickly scuffled onto the stage when she arrived, looking embarrassed.

"Well, we are running a bit behind, but don't forget how important today is! You are honoring your District if you get selected. I will now pull out the female's name." She declared. The whole crowd was silent as everyone studied her every move. The tension was almost unbearable.

"Moira Mintte."

Rusty recognized the name, as she was in the same grade as Rusty. They had never spoken before, however.

Rusty felt sorry for the poor girl.

She looked stunned for a moment before she put on a face of confidence. She stepped up toward the stage and joined Arissa.

Arissa then walked over to the male bowl and grabbed a slip off of the very top. Rusty saw Sullivan tense up.

"Rusty Telman."

Rusty was so relieved that it wasn't Sullivan that he didn't even notice his own name was called. It was only when all of the other teenagers looked directly at him, eyes filled with pity.

Rusty felt a pit in his stomach as he made his way forward. He was shocked, and terrified. He still managed to show his signature smile to the cameras, but it looked shaky and uncertain.

Moira kept her eyes trained on him, as if she was sizing him up. After a few seconds, she smirked.

"Now, you may shake hands." Arissa instructed.

Rusty held his hand up quickly. Moira looked unsure about shaking hands with him. She slowly extended her hand forward, and shook Rusty's tentatively.

"And Ladies and Gentlemen, here are your tributes representing District Five this year!" Arissa said, expecting applause.

There was nothing but silence to fill the air.

* * *

 _ **Moira Mintte (15), District 5 Female**_

Moira still felt blindsided by her name being selected. She couldn't formulate a single thought. Her mind was scrambling on how to react.

 _I can't die!_ She thought. _I have a successful future ahead of me!_

She thought of all of the goals she had set for herself. Getting picked for The Hunger Games could disrupt all of that.

Moira was pacing back and forth when her parents walked into the room, looking calm.

Moira jumped into her moms arms, and began sobbing. She felt like a small child again, crying everywhere. She hadn't cried in years.

Moira's mother patted her head gently, not knowing what to do. She hadn't had to comfort Moira like this for awhile.

"There is no time for crying." said Moira's father. "If you want to win, you have to focus."

"Clear your head of these emotions." Moira's mother chimed in.

"You are correct." Moira said, stepping back and wiping off her tears, feeling ashamed for this display of weakness.

"If you are confident that you will be victorious, than you will be." Moira's mother advised.

"You are much smarter than any of the other tributes you will get thrown into the Arena with." Moira's father said confidently.

"Just use your head." Moira's mother said finally before the Peacekeepers began to take them away.

"Goodbye." Moira muttered weakly.

She felt like a fool for crying in front of her parents. She composed herself and sat down, trying not to get overwhelmed. _Guess I won't need to worry about finishing up that homework._ She thought to herself grimly.

* * *

 _ **Rusty Telman (15), District 5 Male**_

Sitting alone in the goodbye room, Rusty was mortified about what happened. His parents came in, along with Dean. Rusty's family was never affectionate, but this was a special case.

They all hugged him, even Dean, much to Rusty's shock. "Rusty, please come back home to us." His mom begged.

"We want what's best for you." said his father.

Rusty nodded, appreciating the words of encouragement from his normally bitter and unhappy parents. Dean looked like he was going to say something, but he never got the chance. The Peacekeepers were upon them, taking them away from Rusty.

Sullivan arrived next. "I told you something bad would happen!" Sullivan said with a frown.

"Hey, I have a chance to win. It's not like I'm dead yet." Rusty said, trying his hardest to be positive. "I'm gonna miss home though."

"Well you can take a token, right?" Sullivan asked. He looked around for something to give. Sullivan took off his metal tie clip and gave it to Rusty. "I know it's not much, but at least it's something to remind you of here."

"Thank you." Rusty said.

As soon as he finished speaking, Sullivan was dragged away. Rusty noticed that his visitors were being taken away alarmingly quickly.

Rusty peaked his head out the door and saw a line of classmates that seemed endless. All of his peers wanted to say goodbye.

The Peacekeepers let each person say goodbye, but they were all rushed farewells. Rusty was thankful that so many people cared about him. A few of his school friends even cried for him.

As the last student left the room, Rusty felt cautiously hopeful. His chances were as good as anyone else's.

* * *

 **There you have it! Rusty and Moira! They are like complete opposites.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I've been trying to update fairly quickly, since I'm really enjoying all of these characters you guys have sent in.**

 **Please leave a review with your thoughts on Rusty and Moira! It would be very much appreciated :)**

 **And with that, I am done here.**

 **Thanks for reading this chapter!**

 **-Pierana**


	9. District 4 Reaping

**Next stop on our Reaping tour: District Four!**

 **Hope you enjoy these two tributes, brought to you by Void Goddess with Bream, and Killiflower with Briony.**

 **Also, we finally have our full cast! Go to chapter 3 if you want to see the complete list of tributes!**

 **Sorry this chapter took way longer than usual, I was sick, had standardized testing, midterms, and then Oct 16th was my birthday! The next day I started writing and my progress didn't save! Then I got writers block :/**

 **However, We should be back to our frequent updates though.**

 **That is all! Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 _ **Bream Shallows (18), District Four Male**_

The warm glow of the sun met Bream's skin the second he exited his house. He was headed to the beach with his friends, Brooke, Wonnim, and Tabitha.

They were celebrating their last day together, as everyone knew Bream was volunteering. However, Bream was quick to assure his victory to anyone who asked. Bream was extremely confident in his ability to win.

Not only was he confident in his fighting ability, but he was sure of his looks as well. He was well built and had tan skin, copper brown hair, and green eyes. He believed that he could get any girl he wanted, even if this wasn't true.

Bream was pretty well known, as he was the best trainee at the academy. The District Four trainers were strict on allowing volunteers, so it was impressive that Bream got into their good graces. They were so particular in fighting style that they didn't even allow any of the girls to volunteer because none of them were fit to the trainers liking.

This likely meant that District Four's female tribute would be reaped, but Bream didn't care. He would have to kill his district partner anyway if he wanted to win. This just made things even easier.

Bream dove into the water as soon as they stepped onto the beach. He loved the ocean. It felt like his home away from home. He didn't enjoy being at his own house, since his parents constantly argued over insignificant topics. They always tried to drag Bream into their squabbles, but Bream just rolled his eyes and left, preferring friends over family.

Bream loved to joke around and act like he was above caring for anyone. However, he did truly care about his friends and would do anything for them. They were his real family.

As he stared up into the sky, Bream temporarily forgot about all of the thoughts about the Reapings, just letting his mind rest for a bit. He rarely got time to himself like this. His relaxation was quickly interrupted by Brooke playfully splashing him. He splashed her back and enjoyed the rest of his time in the water, but before he knew it, Tabitha was already complaining about how they were going to be late.

Bream sighed and went back home. He walked into the house, not bothering give his parents a greeting. He combed his hair and put on a low cut white shirt and khakis and set off toward the Reapings.

He felt no motivation to say farewell to his parents. They already knew he was volunteering, which they weren't happy about.

"I can't lose my only child!" His mother always protested.

Bream was always quick to inform her of his guaranteed victory.

It didn't matter what anyone said to him. He was going to volunteer.

* * *

 _ **Briony Pike (17), District Four Female**_

Briony sat on the beach by herself. The gentle sound of waves crashing against the shore was a stark contrast from herself. She had a reputation as an ice queen with a dominant personality. While the ocean flowed calmly, Briony preferred to be on schedule at all times.

Her hardened personality was likely due to her time on the boats, catching fish. Despite being younger than most of her crew, they all trusted whatever she had to say. Briony was a natural leader, and always delivered whatever quota she promised.

Her personality tended to detract friends at school. Briony felt that her only true friends were her crew mates, which consisted of Fletcher, who was always cracking jokes, Seline, who was both beautiful and brilliant, Wyk, and old man who always gave advice to anyone who needed it, and Tristan, who got on well with Briony and flirted with her on the occasion.

Briony wished she was out on her trawler with her friends, but she unfortunately didn't have work because of the Reaping. She felt like her only real joy was from being at the ocean. The rest of her daily activities paled in comparison.

Briony walked back home and entered her house, looking around for her father. She didn't see him anywhere, but her mother, Shell, was inside. "Where is dad?" Briony asked in a monotone voice.

"He'll be home soon." Her mother responded.

Briony said nothing more and stomped off to her room. Shell sighed as her daughter breezed passed her.

Briony heard her sigh of disapproval like she had many times before. Briony and her mother had always had a strained relationship, as Shell wished for Briony to be a perfect example of beauty and grace, two things that the teenager didn't waste her time on.

This dynamic was the opposite between Briony and her father, Hooper, who felt like he had a daughter and a son in the form of Briony. Briony preferred her father's company, and enjoyed his days off from the factories in which he would join Briony out on the ocean.

Briony put on her reaping outfit, a modest pearl white dress. The Reaping was the one day of the year where she would listen to what her mother had to say. Shell had worn the same dress at her own final reapings, in which she had taken out a substantial amount of tesserae.

Things were different now. Briony had never taken out any tesserae in her life. Between her father's job at the factories and her mother being the owner of one of the most esteemed restaurants in the district, they had enough money to make a decent living. Certainly better than most of Panem's citizens, at least.

Briony acknowledged this privilege and was thankful for her upbringing, especially after seeing some of the poorer children at school wearing ripped and dirty clothes. Briony sometimes spent time watching the other students with her suspicious brown eyes since she never had anyone to interact with.

Briony stared at herself in the mirror. Her eyes immediately zeroed in on her slight overbite, small bust, and large feet, the things that made her feel the most self-conscious. She normally shrugged off her thoughts on her appearance, but standing there in a dress made her think about her flaws for far too long.

Like most of the other's in District Four, Briony had sun-kissed skin and a tall, muscular figure from her time on the fishing boats. Her hair was long, black, and wiry. She took the time to brush it out on this particular day.

By the time she was ready, she went back to the main room. Her father greeted her, while her mother smirked in the corner, happy to see her only child following her instruction for once.

* * *

 _ **Bream Shallows (18), District Four Male**_

Bream felt a swell of excitement as he neared the front of line to get his finger pricked for the last time. His whole life had been built up for this day, and he vowed to enjoy every second of it.

He walked over to the eighteen year old section with a smirk on his face. He was proud that out of all the boys in the District, he was deemed the best.

Bream normally would strike up a conversation with the people around him, but he instead took the time to plan out his course of action. He had thought about this for years.

His final planning was interrupted as The Mayor introduced Audina to the crowd. She had been an escort for a few years, but she was just moved up to District Four for these Games.

She had light strawberry blonde hair, with pink and green apparel from head to toe, along with an obnoxiously large pair of earmuffs on top of her head.

Bream laughed out loud at the sight of her. She was dressed far too warm for their District.

He could already see sweat on her face. She looked unconcerned, however, and gave a bright smile to the crowd as she began her monologue.

Each moment felt like an eternity for Bream as he tried to remain patient, wanting his journey to the Capitol to start sooner rather than later.

"Now, we shall select a female tribute." Audina moved to the glass bowl, and mixed them around with her hand before snatching one slip. "Briony Pike."

Bream searched the crowd and saw one girl with a shocked look on her face. She quickly wiped off the expression and clenched her fists, as she skulked towards the stage. Bream's doubts of a female volunteer resurfaced as she took her place next to Audina. The crowd remained quiet.

Anticipation grew for Bream as Audina marched over to the boys' bowl and grabbed a slip from the bottom. "Curtis Sudar."

Bream didn't hesitate to throw his hand in the air. "I volunteer as tribute!" He announced, his deep voice filling the air. He gave a smile for the cameras as he took his place next to Briony.

"Now, please shake hands." Audina instructed. Bream and Briony both lifted their hands. Bream noticed the girl's strong grip. _Perhaps she won't be so weak after all._

This was his last thought as they were whisked away into the building behind them.

* * *

 _ **Briony Pike (17), District Four Female**_

As per usual, Briony stood alone in her roped off section. The other girls had formed a group that excluded her. They all spoke about the rumors regarding the lack of a female volunteer.

Briony was unbothered by their conversation. It didn't affect her, since she likely wasn't going to be selected.

As time wore on, Briony's dress began to feel uncomfortable. _Can we please start this soon?_

Briony looked out at the small view of the ocean she could see from where she was standing. She stared off into the horizon, observing the point in the distance where the dark blue water met the light blue sky.

The sun peaked out from behind the blanket of clouds near it. Briony could hear the seagulls circling above her.

She just focused on these natural elements to block out the girls around her.

The Reaping began soon after. As if on queue, the sound of the seagulls ceased and the sun once again concealed itself behind the clouds.

Audina gave a short monologue. Once she finished, she mixed up the slips of names before choosing one. Briony didn't feel much stress at all.

"Briony Pike."

The uncaring feeling faded as she began to feel a thrill of fear. Briony could sense the shocked look on her face and quickly replaced it with a neutral expression. Briony tried to hide her sudden anger at what had just happened, but her clenched fists gave away her act.

She looked out at the crowd from her spot on the stage. Nobody volunteered to take her place, just like everyone was suspecting.

Briony felt a sinking feeling in her chest. A boy volunteered for the male spot, looking confident. He looked ready to fight. _If he can be this confident, why can't I?_ She thought to herself. Briony felt a slight bit of self-assurance that balanced out her fear. She may be taken out, but she was certainly going to put up one hell of a fight.

* * *

 _ **Bream Shallows (18), District Four Male**_

Bream took a few moments to collect himself in the Goodbye Room. This was his break from the cameras.

His moments alone were quickly interrupted by his parents entering the room. His mom quickly threw her arms around him.

"Can't say I'm shocked." said his Father. "But still, I'm disappointed that you volunteered."

"Why would you do this to me!" His mother cried. "I mean, us!"

Bream knew that his parents were upset when they actually agreed on this subject.

But it didn't bother him. This was a decision for himself, not them.

"You can either spend your last few moments with me before I go off and win either being mad at me or saying goodbye. Just pick one." Bream said. "I don't really care which one you choose."

His parents looked appalled at what he said. Bream's mother stormed out in anger, with his father following close behind.

Bream felt a slight stab of regret. "Wait!" He shouted.

But it was too late. They were gone. Bream tried to shrug it off, but he still felt a slight flicker of guilt.

The feeling was briefly relieved as Tabitha, Winnom, and Brooke entered the room, each of them embracing him.

"Good luck man!" Winnom said. "You're gonna kill it. Literally."

Tabitha rolled her eyes at him. "Be careful." Tabitha instructed gruffly.

"I will, like I've promised a thousand times." Bream responded.

"You better come back here." Brooke demanded. "We can't afford to be losing you."

"Of course." Bream said, picking her up playfully. "You should enjoy watching me do what I do best while I'm in that arena."

"Doing what?" Tabitha scoffed. "Killing people?"

Bream set Brooke down. "You sound like my parents." Bream said.

"Maybe they were onto something." Tabitha replied.

As she finished, the Peacekeepers commanded them out of the room.

Bream stood still for a moment, processing what Tabitha said. She always seemed to be the least supportive of his achievements at the academy. Bream just added her to the list of people that doubted him. For a split second, he contemplated that volunteering may have been a mistake.

Bream quickly snapped out of this mindset, and any second thoughts of volunteering washed away like the tide.

* * *

 _ **Briony Pike (17), District Four Female**_

Briony squeezed Bream's hand hard to show him that she shouldn't be taken lightly. She noticed a glint in his eye, but she couldn't quite tell what he was thinking.

Seconds later, she was shoved into the Goodbye Rooms.

Briony felt a bit of repose as her fishing crew entered the room.

Everyone was talking over one another, each person just as shocked as Briony herself that she was picked.

"You don't deserve this at all!" Seline said with tears running down her face.

Even Fletcher, who always lightened the mood, looked defeated.

Tristan's eyes shined with worry. Briony buried her head into his chest, allowing herself to be vulnerable for a few moments. Then she pulled back and gave a fake smile.

Wyk looked at her necklace. "You should bring that into the arena with you. If they allow it."

"Of course." Briony responded, clutching the jewelry. Briony had made it herself. She remembered how Wyk gave her the pearl attached to it many years ago. He said she was the closest thing to a daughter he had. Briony recalled nearly crying in that moment. Crying was a rare occurrence for her.

Even now, she wasn't letting any tears flow.

Briony tried to savor each moment she had with her crew. It seemed too soon that their moment was disrupted and they had to leave.

"Don't die." Wyk said with a grim smile as he left with the others.

It was the best piece of advice she could follow.

Her parents walked in next, both of them looking crushed as they held her close.

"Honey, I'm sorry I was always so hard on you." Shell said. She looked close to tears. "I love you more than anything in this world."

Briony nodded, trying not to get emotional.

"You have to win. I can't lose you." Hooper voiced.

"I will...I'm gonna fight my damn hardest." Briony responded.

"You can do it. You're strong." Hooper encouraged.

"Do anything you need to do. I just want you to come back home." Shell assured.

Briony watched as they were escorted out of the room.

Now she was alone. She had just said goodbye to the six people she could trust.

* * *

 **And that concludes this Reaping chapter.**

 **Hope you enjoyed it! Sorry again for my absence.**

 **Leave a review if you'd like, I love to read them!**

 **See you next time in District 7!**

 **-Pierana**


	10. District 7 Reaping

**Welcome back to Shifting Sands! Guess who's computer decided not to save again? Luckily it was only one segment of the chapter this time, but it's still so annoying. I finally found the problem though, so it should be good from here.**

 **District 7's tributes are Mortikai and Ash, brought to you by Quail of Cards (Mortikai) and santiagoponcini20 (Ash)**

 **Hope you enjoy this chapter! It's the longest Reaping so far!**

* * *

 _ **Mortikai Hart (17), District 7 Female**_

Harsh sunlight attacked Mortikai's eyes as she awoke. She stretched and smiled for a few seconds, until a sudden realization that it was Reaping Day seized her up for a moment. The very thought of even having the slightest chance of being selected filled her with unspeakable fear.

She quickly walked down the hallway to her mothers room and shook her awake. Her mom, Kail, wasn't happy about waking up early, as usual. Mortikai paid this no mind and went back to her room, rushing to get ready for the Reaping. She had a feeling that they were running late.

Mortikai sometimes felt like the parent in the household. Her father left when Mortikai was just two years old, which nearly destroyed her mother. She began to struggle with her mental health and spent most of her time laying in bed, neglecting to get a job or check up on Mortikai. She would only get up if alcohol was involved, a luxury that usually could not be paid for.

Mortikai's saving grace was her Grandmother who always made sure things were taken care of financially. This worked until a few months ago, when she passed away. It was a tragedy for Mortikai, as she lost the person she was closest too.

Mortikai's grandmother left behind a small sum of money, but it had all but run dry. They were just barely scraping by now, and Mortikai knew she would have to get a job soon to support her and her mother.

But the thought of even going out into the world was a frightening prospect that filled Mortikai with fear. Her anxiety was terrible and she resented the thought of putting herself in the spotlight. She'd prefer to just stay home by herself than go and hang out with her friends.

Her grandmother's death only worsened Mortikai's anxiety, who now felt truly alone. Of course, she had a few friends from school, but they could only do so much. Even they seemed to have backed off a bit, now that Mortikai was acting more distant without her grandmother to support her. She was always tearing herself down inside her own head.

She stood and looked into her cracked mirror, feeling self conscious. She had shoulder length red hair along with bangs, and fair skin. She was fairly short and had a small patch of freckles on her nose that was hardly noticeable. She also had glasses, a luxury she had received on her birthday. They were the nicest thing she owned.

Mortikai went back to her mothers room and again shook her awake. "Please wake up."

Kail let out a small laugh.

"I'll be there soon. Just go without me." Kail slurred, slightly out of it.

Mortikai nodded cautiously and left the room, caught off guard by her mothers chipper mood. She turned and walked down the hallway, passing through the kitchen and out the door. She skipped breakfast entirely, as she had multiple times before.

Mortikai met up with her friends, Mandy and Aiden, as they walked toward the Reaping with their families.

"Where's your mom?" Mandy asked.

"She's...resting." Mortikai responded. "She'll catch up. She just had a long shift in the forests yesterday."

"Ah, I see." Aiden said, before he dived into another topic. Mortikai was grateful for the subject change. She had built up a false life to tell her friends about, and Mortikai had lied and claimed that her mother had a steady job and they weren't secretly starving.

She didn't want their pity.

* * *

 _ **Ash Birchwood (18), District 7 Male**_

There was nothing spectacular about living life as an orphan. The District 7 orphanage was a dark and dreary place. People always said that hope went there to die.

These factors were key in shaping Ash into the person he was today. He had a negative outlook on life and was dictated by anger. He had absolutely no clue who his parents were. The orphanage was the only place he ever knew. He would leave soon, now that he was getting older. He had no idea what he would do, but he'd figure something out later. Critical thinking wasn't his strong suit.

He was currently walking the streets of District 7, in the poorest section where the orphanage was.

He turned down a dark alleyway were a young teen was standing.

"Hand it over." Ash spat with a scowl on his face.

With a shaky hand, the boy handed over a few coins.

"This is it?" Ash was outraged.

"S-sorry, it's all I had this week-" The boy stammered, before Ash pushed him into the wall.

"That's what you said last week." Ash yelled, his voice getting louder.

Ash noticed a few girls from the orphanage looking at him from afar. He didn't want to attract a crowd. "Don't let it happen again." Ash whispered in a low growl.

The boy gulped and nodded before running off.

Ash stuffed the change into his pocket and stomped off. He had expected more, but he'd go find someone else to bully into giving him money. Ash always found it so easy to intimidate people into getting what he wanted. Although Ash wasn't physically intimidating, he made up for it with his merciless and brutish personality. He was tall, but skinny. He had tan skin and brown eyes, with messy brown hair at the top of his head. He also had a gap in his teeth, but nobody ever gave him a hard time for it, fearful of the repercussions.

Ash stopped at the orphanage to find his girlfriend, Soeh, but she was surprisingly missing.

Her absence enraged Ash as he stormed out of the room. He found her behind the building talking to another girl. When Soeh spotted Ash from far away, she excused herself from the conversation. The other girl walked away, leaving the couple alone.

Ash roughly grabbed Soeh's arm, causing her to open her eyes wide. "What the hell did I tell you about going somewhere without telling me?" Ash fumed.

"Sorry...I just had to tell Raquel something important...we were outside for only a moment..." Soeh explained, her voice shaking.

"I'm tired of this always happening." Ash complained as he squeezed her arm harder, causing her to wince in pain.

"I'll be sure to tell you next time." Soeh said with a frown.

"That's what I want to hear." Ash said with a devilish grin.

Soeh nodded and followed Ash back inside. She was used to being treated this way. Their relationship was toxic, but she truly believed she could change him for the better. She always thought things would be different once they got out of the orphanage. But they would need a steady income first.

So far, her attempt at fixing Ash was not working. He was still just vicious as ever.

And as far as Ash himself was concerned, he wasn't going to change for anyone.

* * *

 _ **Mortikai Hart (17), District 7 Female**_

Mortikai could barely catch her breath as her nervousness skyrocketed. She stood next to Mandy, waiting for the ceremony to start. Every Reaping, Mortikai was sure that it would be the year she was picked. Nothing good lasted long for her. She always thought that anything that could go wrong, would go wrong.

"I wish this thing would freaking start." Mandy complained.

"Well, we are a bit early." Mortikai pointed out, trying not to let her fear show.

A silence settled over the two girls. It was a comfortable silence, as they had been used to running out of things to say for years. They were friends by necessity, doing anything to prevent being seen as oddities among their classmates.

The other children didn't seem nervous about the reapings, or they were at least doing a great job of hiding it. Mortikai was envious that they could be so carefree. She had always wondered what it would be like to not have a care in the world. To not have to worry where the next meal was going to come from.

"Attention." Lynx said after sneaking onto the stage. She took her place next to the mayor. The mayor was a well groomed man in his forties, who looked completely normal compared to Lynx, who looked like a human feline. Her countless surgeries had altered her appearance dramatically.

"Time to select a female tribute." Lynx said in a deadpan voice. After picking the name, she returned to the microphone. "Mortikai Hart."

Mortikai's heart almost stopped right there and then. The moment she had nightmares about was a reality. She felt herself get dizzy. She was frozen in place.

Peacekeepers began to approach her, and she knew she had to move. She took an unsure step toward the stage, feeling nauseous. Her dizziness grew worse as she stumbled toward the stage. She was certain that everyone was judging her.

As she carefully climbed the steps towards Lynx, Mortikai prayed for a miracle. She knew nobody would volunteer, but she still hoped.

It didn't happen. Mortikai tried to focus on her breathing, doing her best to avoid passing out. The whole world continued to spin, the dizzy feeling still not fading.

"Ash Birchwood." Lynx read the male name.

A string of obscenities were shouted from the eighteen year old section as an unhappy young man stomped up the steps.

Everyone was shocked by what happened next as the boy slugged the mayor in the cheek, causing the man to yell in pain. Ash moved onto to Lynx, pushing her hard. Her arms flailed wildly in the air as she fell to the floor, one of her hands scraping her sharp nails against Ash's arm before she hit the ground.

Mortikai was horrified by what happened. Peacekeepers surrounded Ash and began dragging him into the Justice Building. Lynx followed after, shouting angrily at Ash. The mayor stood up, clutching the side of his face.

The mayor's wife checked up on him. Mortikai was still standing outside. The Mayor's daughter walked over to her and offered her a wry smile. "Follow me." She beckoned.

The girl led Mortikai into the Goodbye Rooms. "Your visitors will arrive shortly." She told her. "I'm sorry this happened to you." The girl looked genuinely sorry about what had happened.

"Thank you." Mortikai said, appreciative of the girl's act of kindness.

* * *

 _ **Ash Birchwood (18), District 7 Male**_

Ash tapped his foot impatiently despite the fact that the Reaping still wasn't set to start for ten minutes. It was his last Reaping, and the sooner it was over, the better.

He hadn't bother to dress up for the event. It's not like he owned nice clothing anyways. Even if he did, he wouldn't wear them regardless.

Lynx arrived on stage. Ash thought her appearance was completely ridiculous. He couldn't believe that people who had so much money like her would waste it on cosmetic surgery to look like an animal.

After gathering everyone's attention, Lynx began the Reaping. "Time to select a Female Tribute." After a few moments, Lynx announced the name. "Mortikai Hart."

Everyone craned their necks to look and see who was chosen. After several uncomfortable moments, a seventeen year old began her trip toward the front. Ash sized her up, and knew she wouldn't last a day in the arena. The girl looked weak and fragile.

She struggled to walk in a straight line as all eyes were on her. After she made her way to the top, she took her place next to the escort.

Then it was time for the male tribute. "Ash Birchwood."

Ash was genuinely shocked that he was selected. He had taken out tesserae, but he forced Soeh to take out much more than he did.

Ash began swearing heavily as he angrily climbed the stage.

He felt nothing but pure anger and decided to take it out like he always did; punching someone.

The closest person was the mayor, and Ash punched him hard in the side of his face. He took it one step further by shoving Lynx to the floor.

One of her nails scratched his arm. _That bitch!_

Before he could cause anymore harm, a swarm of Peacekeepers latched onto Ash and dragged him into the building. Ash had a slight smirk on his face, glad that he could take the privileged mayor and escort down a peg.

He didn't even consider the fact that this could harm his chances of survival.

* * *

 _ **Mortikai Hart (17), District 7 Female**_

Mortikai's terror did not fade even inside the Goodbye Rooms. Terrible visions ran through her head as she thought of the violent ends that tributes met in years past. _I'll be one of them._

Negative thoughts were the only things that Mortikai could process.

Mandy and Aiden both ran into the room, chattering away. "This isn't right!" Mandy said angrily.

"Well we can't change that it happened." Aiden reasoned. "Now you have to focus on coming back."

"I'm not going to win." Mortikai lamented, full of doubt. "I don't have an athletic bone in my body."

"Well your not going to win with that attitude." Aiden chastised. "Plus, your mind is more important in these Games. You can be the strongest and fastest person out there, but if your mind isn't it 100% of the time, your as good as gone."

"Exactly." Mandy agreed. "Don't underestimate yourself."

"Thanks guys. I feel a bit better now." Mortikai lied. In fact, she couldn't feel any worse than she felt right now. She still felt dizzy, as if she could pass out at any second.

Her friends left, and Mortikai decided to sit down and rest. After a few minutes, the door opened again.

Mortikai was surprised to see her mother stagger through the doorway. Kail's unkempt fire red hair was in every direction and her eyes looked red, but she had a smile on her face. She stepped toward Mortikai with her arms outstretched. As she neared, Kail practically fell into her daughters arms. Mortikai was shocked by the sign of affection, but didn't reject it.

Kail began to ramble incoherently into her daughter's ear. Mortikai assumed she was drunk, and she didn't even want to imagine how her mother of all people got her hands on more alcohol.

"I m-made..it." Kail managed to get out.

"Thank you."

"I hope you c-come back." Mortikai's mother said.

"I appreciate it." Mortikai responded, emotionless.

And just like that, her mother left her alone in the room. _Well at least I have her support._

Mortikai's negative thoughts returned, and she felt herself slowly dreading what was to come. Soon, she would be in the Capitol, and eventually, the arena where she would be sacrificed.

* * *

 _ **Ash Birchwood (18), District 7 Male**_

"Well you're doing a fine job of making a horrible impression already!" Lynx yelled after Ash as he was forced into one of the rooms. "I can't believe him! I almost broke a nail!" Lynx complained to a few nurses who intercepted her.

Ash rolled her eyes at the foolish woman as he entered one of the goodbye rooms. "Hands off." He growled to the Peacekeepers as they let go of him. "Are you going to leave?" Ash asked one of the uniformed men.

"I think we'll stay right here." The Peacekeeper sneered.

"We're keeping an eye on you." another added.

"Whatever." Ash dismissed their concerns. He examined his arm, and noticed a small wound from where Lynx scratched him. A male nurse walked in and began examining the wound. "It's fine. It's just a scratch."

"I still need to examine it." The nurse said.

"Just leave. I don't want help." Ash snapped, too prideful to admit that someone else had caused him an injury.

The conversation was interrupted by Soeh entering the room. She looked upset, and her eyes looked wet. As she got closer to Ash, she began softly crying.

She went in to embrace Ash, but he refused. "Don't tell me your actually crying." He rolled his eyes.

"You should be too."

"Crying is for the weak." Ash stated simply.

Soeh didn't respond for a moment and just shook her head. "Can we please just try to enjoy our last time seeing each other?"

"What the hell does that mean? You think I'm not going to win?"

Soeh looked shocked by his response. "Well, you can never be too sure..."

"I'm going to win. You doubting me really pisses me off." Ash moved in to go and hit her, but one of the Peacekeepers stepped in between them.

"I believe you've had enough altercations for one day, Mr. Birchwood."

"Fine, just get her out of here." Ash said, his rage building.

Soeh looked appalled by what was coming out of his mouth.

"W-wait!" She shouted. Her protests were ignored as she was removed from the room for her own safety.

The nurse also left, and soon after, the Peacekeepers.

Ash smirked.

"Finally, some damn peace and quiet."

* * *

 **Once again, we have some pretty conflicting tributes.**

 **What are your thoughts on them? Tell me in a review!  
**

 **Thanks so much for reading this chapter!**

 **-Pierana**


	11. District 10 Reaping

**Welcome to District Ten!**

 **Today's tributes are brought to you by the Void Goddess (Lane) and captain-random64 (Minnie)**

 **Hope you like this chapter!**

* * *

 _ **Lane Galeburg (18) District Ten Male**_

The sun shone brightly over District Ten on the day of the Reaping, as it usually did most mornings. Lane loved doing his job under the morning sun, since it lifted the normally downcast moods of most citizens in the District.

There was always something to do around the ranch for Lane. He rarely had any days off, but he never really minded. He enjoyed his work. Even on Reaping Day, he was content with his chores. Lane always recalled begging his father to let him work on the family ranch when he was just a small child. Lane was always willing to help out wherever he could, and he would go out of his way to help others if they needed it.

His hardworking and selfless nature was always appreciated by those around him. Whether it was at the ranch or at home, his presence was important.

His job at the ranch had helped him get physically in shape. He was strong and stocky from always carrying things around. He had short brown hair and light brown stubble, along with chocolate colored eyes. He always had a big smile to offer to anyone.

He grinned as Debbi and Andie, two farmhands, approached him. "Wanna join us for a drink?" Debbi asked, tucking a bit of her blonde hair behind her ear.

"I think I'll pass." Lane responded. "Thanks for the offer though."

"Are you sure? It's tradition that we drink before the Reapings." Andie asked, running his hands through his bright red hair.

"I'm sure. I gotta go home and wash off." Lane explained, gesturing to a bit of dirt on his face.

"Alright. See you around then." Debbi said, turning around. Andie followed quickly behind her.

Lane still had a few hours before the Reaping, so he headed into his house and began getting ready. He knew he wouldn't need a lot of time to get ready, but he needed an excuse to turn down Debbi and Andie; the prospect of getting drunk was not something that appealed to Lane. He preferred to abide by the laws and play it safe. Most of the time, risks were not worth the reward.

He had learned that lesson from his mother, who was injured in an accident. He remembered the day vividly. She was riding one of the horses on the ranch, and had stopped paying attention for a few moments to take a swig of alcohol from her flask. Out of nowhere, a younger horse that was running around wildly rammed into the horse she was riding, sending Lane's mother flying off the horse and injuring her back. She was severely injured and was still in bed rest to this day.

The accident was still rather recent, as Lane could recall the event. His once cheerful mother seemed drained and depressed after the accident as she was forced to stay in her room all day.

Her injury also affected Lane's father, who grew more strict and less affectionate. Lane tried to keep the optimism up for his family, but he didn't know if things would ever be the same. He sure hoped life would eventually return to normal.

Hope was something Lane always had lots of. He would seldom feel hopeless in a situation. There had to be a silver lining somewhere.

Lane put on a red flannel along with jeans, boots, and a belt. After he was put together, he entered his mother's room.

She gave a small smile as he walked through the doorway. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing pretty well. How are you feeling?" Lane asked, gently grabbing her hands.

"Same as usual." She responded quickly. "Can you believe today is your last Reaping?"

"No, it doesn't seem possible."

"It feels like just yesterday you were going to your first." His mother sighed. "Are you nervous?"

"Of course...I always feel a bit uneasy." Lane admitted. "But it should all work out fine."

"I'm sure it will. Which reminds me." Lane's mother reached behind her and grabbed a small coin with an engraving of a bronco on it. "For luck."

"Thank you." Lane said. "I should probably get going."

"I know. Stay strong." She said before laying her head back down.

Lane exited the room and found his father walking in from outside, his clothes stained, and his hands covered with grime. "Ready to go?" He asked.

"Are you going to get dressed?" Lane asked.

"No, I'm not going to dress for something like this."

"You have in the past..." Lane trailed off, but decided to just stop the conversation, not wanting to start a dispute with his father.

The two men walked out of the house and began the long trek to District Ten's center, not knowing what would unfold within the next hour.

* * *

 ** _Minnie Davis (15) District Ten Female_**

Minnie was a dreamer. She was dead set on becoming a capitol politician, in spite of how the goal was impossible for a District Citizen to achieve.

Minnie walked through the fields of her father Paul's dairy farm. Her mother Celia was a few steps behind her, observing her closely.

Minnie enjoyed looking at the cows her family owned, as she loved animals. She had many childlike qualities and never held back showing what her true interests where.

"Alright Minnie, it's time to go inside." Celia said, grabbing Minnie's hand and pulling her towards the house.

"Why?" Minnie asked, hoping to stay outside with the cows for a longer period of time.

"It's Reaping Day." Celia admitted, her voice sounding worried.

Minnie didn't say anything in response and followed her mother inside. Celia selected Minnie's outfit and allowed her to change into a white blouse with a black summer dress over it along with white tights and black flats.

Minnie walked out of her room with a smile. She had a round shaped face, flat nose, long wavy brown hair, large blue eyes. She was rather plump in figure and had a short stature. She sat down and began eating breakfast. Minnie's family was lucky that they owned a farm, which provided them with enough money so that they didn't have to stress about where their next meal would come from.

Celia looked like a nervous wreck. She always was worried for her daughter. Minnie was born with down syndrome, a disorder which was uncommon in Panem. Celia could be described by some as overprotective, but her concerns were legitimate. Celia would try and keep Minnie in the house as much as possible, because she feared that sending her daughter into the real world would cause Minnie to have to deal with unnecessary bullying. Minnie would stay locked in the house for long periods of time as a child, but eventually she was old enough that her mother sent her to school.

Just as Celia had feared, Minnie was forced to deal with bullies, but they never really got her down. She would come home just as positive as ever.

Celia's fears of bullies was nothing in comparison to her phobia of the Reaping. She had felt a pit in her stomach all day.

Just then, Minnie's brother, Mince, entered the room. He smiled and gave Minnie a hug. He was 23 years old, and stayed with his parents and worked on the farm. He was Minnie's only friend, and they were extremely close. A few times when they were both younger, he would sneak out with Minnie and let her play in one of the only forests District Ten had to offer. Mince always enjoyed watching Minnie frolic around outside without a care in the world, a brief escape from their normal, everyday lives.

"Ready to head into town?" Mince said, ruffling Minnie's hair.

"Yes!" Minnie exclaimed happily. She was always excited about a change of scenery. The square had always been a unique place for her, regardless of the circumstances she had to go there under.

She walked out of the house alongside her brother, her mom and dad following close behind. She waved goodbye to the cows as her family started on their way to the center of the District, hoping Minnie would manage to make it through without being selected.

* * *

 _ **Lane Galeburg (18) District Ten Male**_

After the long walk to the center of the District in the sweltering heat, Lane felt tired. The thought of walking back to his house sounded like an impossible journey, but the Reaping left him more concerned.

Lane's final reaping started just like the rest of them. He waited patiently in line to sign in. He always felt pity for the twelve year olds who were not used to the proceedings. There was a few that always cried out of fear. He remembered the feeling.

Lane absolutely hated the Hunger Games, and by extent, the Reapings. Even if he wasn't selected, he would still be forced to watch two innocent kids go off and die. It was a cruel, inhumane thing. And this would just continue, for every year of his life, although he wouldn't have to worry about being picked as an adult.

In the eighteen year old section, Lane stood tall, towering over the other boys. However, no one was really ever intimidated by his size, since he always seemed too kind to ever have bad thoughts like that. Lane had the potential to cause harm, but he rarely grew angry. However, Reaping Day sometimes brought out his aggressive side.

Antonio, the escort, started shortly after Lane arrived. He didn't waste anytime getting to business. "First, we will pick one lucky female to be a tribute in the 197th Hunger Games." Antonio strutted confidently to the large glass bowl. He was dressed in a white tuxedo, with a large amount of makeup piled onto his face, a trait common among capitol citizens.

"Minnie Davis."

Lane heard a woman cry out from where the adults stood.

After hearing the scream, a girl began walking toward the stage slowly. A different girl stuck her foot out in front of the reaped tribute, causing the young girl to fall. A few snickers filled the air.

Lane was disgusted that people could be so cruel. _They should be glad they didn't get reaped themselves._

Minnie stood back up and walked the rest of the way, seemingly unbothered. No one volunteered.

"Now for the males." Antonio said, lifting his arms. "Lane Galeburg."

Lane was stunned. He would now be a participant in the Games he hated so passionately.

He walked confidently toward the stage, but in his mind, he began to panic.

"Now, shake hands you two!" Antonio yelled excitedly.

Lane grabbed the girl's hand and shook it, feeling sorry for not only himself, but for her too.

* * *

 ** _Minnie Davis (15) District Ten Female_**

This was Minnie's fourth Reaping, and she had picked up on the routine quickly. She always hated getting her finger pricked, but after that, she would walk obediently to whatever section she was directed to. She studied the people carefully. Minnie had always been a good judge of character. She could very quickly pick up on people's personality traits.

She usually gravitated toward those like her, and she would stand by anyone that looked to be kind during the ceremony.

Antonio walked onto the stage. "Greetings District Ten!"

Minnie appreciated that he was as upbeat she was. She had a general understanding of the Games. Although her parents tried to keep her sheltered from it, some of the Games were required viewing for all citizens and Minnie had been forced to watch that.

"I hope you guys are as excited as I am!" Antonio continued.

Silence.

Antonio furrowed his brow. "Well then." His positive energy wavered for a moment, but then he continued. "First, we will pick one lucky female to be a tribute in the 197th Hunger Games."

"Minnie Davis."

Minnie didn't even have time to process what he said before she heard her mother already screaming in horror.

Minnie didn't know what to think. She had never thought what the Hunger Games would be like. It seemed like a faraway, fantasy world.

Her train of thought was interrupted by a girl putting her foot in front of Minnie's path, causing her to fall over. Minnie felt a stab of anger, but her confusion about being Reaped and what followed was much more powerful, so she continued on her way to the stage without another thought about the rude gesture.

She took her place next to Antonio, looking for comfort. He walked over to the male bowl and grabbed a slip. "Lane Galeburg."

A tall young man emerged from the crowd and started toward the stage. He looked unhappy.

"Now, shake hands you two." Antonio encouraged.

Lane grabbed Minnie's hand, and they shook as Antonio instructed. Minnie felt uneasy, not knowing what the future had in store for her.

* * *

 _ **Lane Galeburg (18) District Ten Male**_

Lane was trying his best to keep his emotions in check as he stood in the Goodbye Rooms.

His Father entered the room first. "Your mother will be crushed to hear about this."

Lane's mother was one of the few citizens allowed to miss the Reapings due to her injury. "I wish I could have said goodbye to her again."

"Well, you can talk to her all you want when you win." Lane's Father encouraged.

"I'll try my best."

"You need to be completely confident in yourself if you want a shot at winning this thing." Lane's Father instructed.

"I know. I will do anything to get back here."

"Even kill?" Asked his father.

"If I have to." Lane lied. Deep down, he truthfully didn't know if he had it in him to take someone's life.

After answering his question, Lane's Father was forced to leave.

Debbi and Andie walked into the room next, both plastered drunk.

They both embraced Lane in a group hug, but their speech was so slurred that Lane couldn't even tell what they were saying.

The Peacekeepers seemed to take notice of this, and they promptly escorted the two teens out early.

Lane felt concerned for what would happen to them, but his uncertainty of his own fate was even more prevalent.

* * *

 ** _Minnie Davis (15) District Ten Female_**

Minnie carefully observed the furniture of the Goodbye Rooms, noticing the luxurious couches first, and then the tall bookshelves. They were even nicer than what her family owned. She was interested to see what the Capitol would have in store for her. At the very least, she could see the city she aspired to be a politician at.

Minnie's thoughts were interrupted by her entire family busting into the room. Everyone was a mess, especially her mother.

"I'm sorry! For everything!" Her mother said in between sobs. "I couldn't protect you." She wrapped her arms tight around her daughter.

"We'll miss ya, kid." Minnie's father said, tears sliding down his face.

"I'll miss you guys." Minnie said. "But don't underestimate me."

Her brother gave a sad smile. "Have this...it might make you feel better."

Minnie looked down at her palm to see that her brother had handed her a bracelet.

She put the leather piece of jewelery around her wrist.

Minnie smiled at her brother, and he returned the smile. He seemed hopeful on the outside, but in the inside, he knew she didn't have a good chance of survival.

The Davis family savored their last moments together as a group of four, but eventually, Minnie's family was ripped from her grasp, and she was all by herself.

* * *

 **Well, that's all ladies and gents!**

 **I hope this chapter was to your liking.**

 **I also hope I portrayed both of the characters well, I struggled to write this chapter as I wanted to be accurate as possible with Minnie's Down syndrome, so hopefully it was worth the wait.**

 **Tell me your thoughts on the characters, and I'll see ya next time!**

 **EDIT: District 13 is up next!**

 **-Pierana**


	12. District 13 Reaping

**Today we visit District 13, our Medicine and Pharmaceuticals District.**

 **Our tributes today, Diana and Darren, were created by IciclePower33 (Diana) and Liamll2000 (Darren)**

 **Hope you like reading this one!**

* * *

 _ **Diana Rackett (16) District Thirteen Female**_

Being the daughter of the mayor certainly had it's privileges. Diana's family was always in the spotlight, and never had to worry about food. However, it also shaped Diana into the person she is now.

She was extremely independent and logical, almost to a fault. She always viewed others as beneath her due to her family's status. She always pushed others way, and now she was a lone wolf. She didn't mind not having people to talk to, as she was just fine on her own.

The only people she really interacted with was her parents, and she had noticed their dynamic at a young age. Although Diana's father was the mayor, her mother did all of the work. Her father was always bubbly and happy, and in Diana's opinion, just plain dumb. Her mother on the other hand wasn't nearly as warm as he was. She was strict and serious, and extremely smart. Diana had much more in common with her mother, so she had much more respect for her.

Diana never made decisions based on her heart. She was completely fact based, unlike her father, who was ruled by emotion.

Many outfits hung in Diana's closet as she rifled through them quickly. She wasn't nearly as worried as most other children were. She had never taken out any tesserae. There was no need. However, nearly every other boy and girl in the District was forced to out of necessity. District 13, despite it's importance in producing medicine items, was one of the poorest districts. The kids were malnourished and uneducated. Diana always felt out of place around them.

Diana finally found a fitting outfit, a gray dress that reached her shins. She pulled it out of the closet with an uninterested expression. The gray matched the bleakness of District 13. Diana couldn't imagine a more miserable place than the District her family was in charge of.

Diana put on the dress and looked into the mirror with her strikingly pale blue eyes and adjusted her dark hair that reached her shoulders. She had pale skin and was an average height and weight.

She glanced at herself one last time before going downstairs to the grand dining room of her house. She sat down, a meal already laid in front of her. Diana's parents were already at the table.

Diana's father rambled on and on about a few random subjects, but both Diana and her mother ignored him, neither woman in the mood. It was Reaping Day, and if everyone else was going to ask downcast, they would to. If the Mayor wanted to lift spirits, he could try, but they knew it wouldn't work.

After a mostly silent meal, the Rackett family finished their preparations and made their way to the town square, which was right by their home. They arrived early to set everything up.

Diana watched as the roped off section for each age group began filling up with malnourished children of all ages. She let out a sigh. She didn't feel like she belonged here. Diana wanted to be somewhere far away where she could put her intelligence to good use.

A few families acknowledged Diana and her parents. Her father eagerly greeted them, while her mother gave a curt nod. Diana didn't say or do anything, her mind far away.

A few minutes later, she noticed a young woman arrive on stage. She looked frail and plain, wearing a modest blue dress. Her blonde hair was in an up-do, and she had a nervous expression on her face.

"That's our new escort." Diana's mother whispered into her ear.

Diana was not impressed with her. It was clear this was her first year.

However, Diana knew that the arrival of the escort was her queue. She went down the steps and joined the other sixteen year olds. Diana was frustrated that she was forced to stand with them for the ceremony. She never really cared about her status. She knew she was more intelligent than most in the District, but her family standing never meant much to her. However, at this particular time, she was annoyed that her, the Mayors daughter, would have to stand with the normal children.

 _I'll just have to suck it up._ Diana thought to herself as the Reapings started.

* * *

 ** _Darren Lafayette (17) District Thirteen Male_**

The sky was cloudy and dark on the day of the Reaping in Thirteen, a fitting description of the residents whenever this particular rolled around.

It was still early in the morning as Darren returned back to the place he called home. Him and his sister, Dyarla, lived on the upstairs floor of the typist shop in the District. Citizens of District 13 were far too poor for anything electronic, so any important announcements were spread via paper. Of course, the Capitol always oversaw anything the Districts sent out, being sure to check for any hidden rebel messages.

Darren was out early making deliveries to other families in the District, a job he had been performing since he was only six years old. His time spent delivering gave him a bit of time to himself. Normally, he was at the typist shop, watching over his younger sister.

Darren and Dyarla's mother was single. They didn't know their father. However, Darren's mom, who works hard as a typist, was sent to the Capitol as an Ambassador for District 13 due to her exceptional work. Normally, leaving the District was prohibited. However, the Capitol had a few representatives from each District work in the Capitol. Her absence was pretty hard on both of her kids. Darren was forced to step up and take care of himself and his sister.

He walked into the apartment and found his sister still asleep.

"Come on," He shook her awake. "We don't have time for this."

He was already dressed a ready to go. He would just wear the same thing he always wore when he was working; Long light brown trousers, a collared black short sleeved shirt and a brown cap.

Dyarla looked tired but she woke up quickly. Despite her young age, she knew the Reapings were a stressful time and she was always careful to behave.

Darren was always pretty hard on her, but it was just because he was always just looking out for her best interest. Dyarla understood this despite her young age. She looked into the cracked mirror they had and smiled. She was only six but she looked similar to Darren. She had soft brown eyes and dark skin, with short black hair. She was pretty tall for a six year old. However, she was very short compared to Darren, who stood at six feet.

The two Lafayette children sat down and had a meager breakfast. They were both silent. Darren was always talkative while out on the job, and usually a bit more reserved at home. On this particular day, he was lost in his thoughts as he wondered about what his mother was doing. He still missed her greatly.

Darren sometimes wondered who his father was, but he knew he would probably never know. He didn't have to know, it was just one of the things he was curious about.

"Are you okay?" Dyarla asked, concerned.

Darren realized that he was glaring at her. "No, I'm fine." He stated simply. He would sometimes glare at people on accident whenever he was thinking, a habit that he wished he could break.

He then looked at the time and realized that they should get going. "Go get dressed."

Dyarla went and found an outfit and changed into it while Darren went back down into the shop, dropping off a few things. Eventually, his sister came downstairs and they began their walk to the Reaping.

Along the way, they ran into Darren's best friend, Garret. Darren and Garret were good friends, although they were both extremely competitive and they challenged each other regularly.

"How many times is your name in the bowl?" Darren asked, speaking fast. Darren had a tendency to talk quickly, but he was good with his words.

"Too much to count." Garret responded.

"Me too," Darren said back with a light chuckle. Tesserae was a necessity for most District Thirteen children. It was either that, or starve in most cases. It was just the harsh reality of their lives that they had to face.

"Well here we are." Garret said as they neared the square. "Let's hope we make it another year."

* * *

 _ **Diana Rackett (16) District Thirteen Female**_

Diana stared ahead blankly. The normal propaganda was being shown, and she had tuned it out completely. She had already heard it multiple times throughout the years, and she never found it interesting. They showed the same thing every year, with only a slight change of footage to show the most recent games. As she looked up, she saw a clip of last years District 5 male getting stabbed in the chest by a career.

She quickly looked away, not wanting to see it. Despite being related to the mayor, who worked directly with the Capitol, she still didn't like the Hunger Games. She didn't really care that people were being sent off to die, but the fact that she could be one of them is what bothered her. However, she was sure that it would be rigged so that she wouldn't be picked, since the Mayor couldn't lose his only offspring.

"I'll start the selection now." Radia said weakly from the stage. She dipped a shaky hand into the bowl and grabbed a slip from the top before walking back to the microphone.

With a nervous voice, she read the paper's contents.

"Diana Rackett."

Multiple sounds of shock flared up from around Diana. Nobody expected her to be selected.

Diana was just as surprised as the rest of them, and she felt anger start to build within her. She began walking briskly towards the front, where her shell shocked family stood. Diana looked annoyed as she stood next to Radia, who still looked even more worried now than ever.

The escort grabbed another slip. "Darren Lafayette."

Everyone was still reeling from the Mayor's child being selected that most citizens didn't even hear the boys name be called.

However, Diana noticed that the boy had realized his named was chosen. She failed to deduce how he felt as his expression was void of emotion. He began sprinting up to the stage, which Diana thought was odd.

The boy was tall and he looked a bit more promising than the average District Thirteen male, but Diana still felt doubtful about his chances, as well as her own. She only had a one in twenty six shot, after all.

Diana put her hand out before Radia even asked her too, as she was already used to the formalities. Darren grabbed onto her hand and shook, is face still not showing how he truly felt.

Diana then was led into the Justice Building. She made eye contact with her mother, who looked concerned for what was to come. Diana felt the same way.

* * *

 ** _Darren Lafayette (17) District Thirteen Male_**

Darren, Dyarla, and Garret arrived at the square quickly after. Dyarla stood near her teacher and his family while Darren and Garret signed in. They entered the seventeen year old section and both looked up to the stage to see a young woman standing by the microphone.

"Is that the same girl from last year?" Garret asked, pointing at the escort.

"No, this one must be new." Darren responded. He had a great memory that was good for recalling things like this.

"I wonder what happened to the other one..." Garret wondered aloud as the ceremony began.

After a few of the normal proceedings, the Escort introduced herself as Radia Curie. Darren noticed that she looked nervous. "Why would she become and escort if she doesn't like public speaking?" Darren whispered.

Garret shrugged.

"I'll start the selection now." Radia said, picking a name. "Diana Rackett."

There was lots of shocked reactions from the crowd, but nobody looked upset about the name being pulled.

Darren saw the mayors daughter head to the stage with a scowl on her face. If she was scared, she certainly hid it well with her large frown.

Everyone was still in a trance as Radia grabbed the second name. "Darren Lafayette."

Darren hearing his name get announced snapped him back into reality. It didn't even seem possible. It felt like a horrible dream.

Before he knew it, he felt his legs swiftly carrying himself to the stage.

He sized up Diana once he stood next to Radia. Diana didn't look very intimidating. Darren knew she wasn't very popular among others in the District, and he could see why. She had her arms crossed and looked completely miserable. Although in this instance, it was understandable.

She held her hand out, and Darren shook it. She looked uncomfortable with the gesture but didn't say anything about it.

Darren searched the crowd for Dyarla, but he couldn't find her. He couldn't imagine how she felt. Thinking about his young sister being left alone only doubled Darren's panic, although he didn't show the cameras how he felt. He opted to just keep a neutral expression on his face, as he didn't know what his angle would be once he reached the Capitol. Even now, his competitive nature was already surfacing as he pondered how to get ahead.

A peacekeeper then grabbed his arm and began pushing him into the Justice Building.

The last thing Darren saw was the Mayor already fighting back tears before the doors closed them in.

* * *

 _ **Diana Rackett (16) District Thirteen Female**_

Diana had to wait longer than normal as her parents had to wrap up the Reaping. She absentmindedly looked down at her bare wrist. She knew it was customary for tributes to bring in something from home, but she didn't feel any sentiment towards District 13, so she would bring nothing.

After about an hour, they finally came in to visit her.

Her dad was openly bawling, which caused Diana to feel slightly annoyed. She had no clue how to deal with other people's emotions, and the last thing she wanted to do was comfort him when she was the one who now had her life on the line.

He was a blubbering mess, and Diana could barely process what he was saying.

"He tried to get them to redraw the names." Diana's mother explained. "Which obviously isn't allowed." She finished, giving the man a pointed look.

"I can't lose my baby girl." He lamented.

"I'm _not_ a baby." Diana said. "I'm more independent than you think I am."

"But you won't have me to protect you-"

Diana cut him off. "You didn't protect me. And trust me, I can take care of myself. I've been doing it my whole life."

He remained silent for a moment before he began sobbing again, completely ridden with despair.

Diana's mother had a completely different approach. Her face was woven with concern as she placed her hands on Diana's shoulders and stared at her, getting straight into business. "You have to Capitalize on being the Mayor's Daughter as much as you can. You have to sell the sob story."

Diana grimaced but shook her head in understanding.

"I know you may not like it, but the Capitol will eat that shit up." Her mother said with the ghost of a smile lingering on her face.

She then began ushering her husband out the door, who was still crying.

"Good luck," Diana's mother said finally, before shutting the door.

No one else came to visit Diana. Nobody else cared. But Diana wasn't affected at all by the lack of visitors. She didn't want their sympathy.

* * *

 ** _Darren Lafayette (17) District Thirteen Male_**

Once the Reaping concluded, Darren was put into an opulent room.

He tapped his foot impatiently, hundreds of thoughts running through is head as each second ticked by.

The door busted open as Dyarla dashed into the room, throwing her arms around Darren's waist. "I don't want you to go!" She cried.

"I don't want to go either," Darren said sadly. "But I don't have a choice."

Dyarla wiped one of her tears and handed Darren a golden bracelet. "I brought it from home." She said through her tears.

It was a bracelet he had received from work for being the best employee of the year. In all of his stress about the Reaping, he hadn't even thought about bringing it. "Thank you," He said with a fake smile, patting her on the back. He tried to look strong, to make it easier on her.

"I'm gonna miss you."

"I'll miss you too." Darren said. This side of him usually didn't come out very much. "You gotta stay strong though, okay?"

Dyarla nodded sadly and was lead out of the room by a Peacekeeper, leaving her brother behind, who looked puzzled.

Darren didn't voice it, but he was just as worried about his sister as he was himself. She was only six. There was no way she would survive on her own in the District.

As Darren's mind scrambled for alternatives, Garret came strolling into the room.

"How are you holding up?" He asked.

"How do you think?" Darren said sarcastically. "I'm more worried about my sister than anything."

"Look...if you don't make it out..." Garret started slowly. "I'll take care of her."

"Thank you." Darren replied, a bit of the intense pressure being relieved. However, the fact that he was reaped was still a very present issue.

"I know you and I are always competing, but I can admit that you're pretty athletic." Garret said. "I really think you can win this thing."

"I'm gonna claw my way out of there." Darren said. "If I go down, I'm going out swinging."

"I would expect nothing less. Now don't die on me." Garret said with a grim smile as he stepped out of the room.

Twenty Five people would have to die if Darren wanted to see his home again.

* * *

 **And that's another chapter down!**

 **Next time, we will have District Eight.**

 **Also, thank you to anyone who reviews the story. They really help motivate me to work on new chapters, so thank you for them!**

 **See you next time!**

 **-Pierana**


	13. District 8 Reaping

**Now arriving at District Eight!**

 **I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving, if you celebrate it. That's why I took so long to get this chapter out.**

 **Anyways...**

 **Today's creators are santiagoponcini20 (Aren) and incandescentserendipity (Ashlynn)**

 **Hope you have a good time reading this chapter!**

* * *

 ** _Aren Demarie (18) District Eight Male_**

Aren stood in the shadows of a narrow street, watching as a group of people walked by, all chattering about the upcoming ceremony. _Obvious targets._ He thought to himself as he began to sneak behind them.

He carefully reached his hand into one of their pockets and grabbed a few coins. None of them had noticed, and Aren quickly dashed back into shadows. _That was almost too easy._ He thought to himself sarcastically.

And just like that, Aren's day started off just like all of the others, the only difference being that he had the Reaping to go to later. He walked down the tight alleyways of the poorest section of District Eight, looking for the perfect place to continue his "work". He lived in the streets, constantly moving from alleyway to alleyway. District 8 was an endless stream of factories and tight, crowded neighborhoods. He barely scraped by, relying on stealing from others in order to survive.

If people were going to be naive enough to leave their doors unlocked, it was only natural for him to take advantage of it, right? He had to get by somehow.

Of course, stealing was frowned upon, but it was simple for Aren. He never felt pity for those he stole from.

Aren always tried to avoid people at all costs. He didn't like being around them, since all they did was feel bad for him. However, other people usually stayed away from him, since he was different.

Anyone in the District who knew of him felt nothing but pity. He was both blind and deaf. He had been that way since he was born. Not only this, but he also lost Dolinka and Urkon, his parents. A year prior, both of them died in a fire at the factory they were employed, which is what forced Aren onto the streets. Afterward, he chose his stealing and nomadic lifestyle over going to the crowded orphanage of District Eight. Aren had always been very observant, and he had seen the kids there, and they all looked even more miserable then he was.

Aren found a small run down apartment building that looked empty. After sneaking inside, he quickly grabbed a few things off the table before running back out into the street. Aren never stayed anywhere for too long, as the last thing he wanted to do was get caught.

His physical appearance was both a blessing and a curse when it came to stealing. Despite being eighteen, he was small in stature and very skinny, which made him look younger than he actually was. This made it easy to creep into places undetected. However, his green eyes and extremely pale skin also made him look different from most of the population, who had olive skin and brown eyes. This made other's take notice of him. Luckily, his short brown hair was pretty standard with the other citizens.

He looked down at his loot and saw that he was able to get a bit of food. He quickly devoured it and stood up and entered another building. He saw a gray outfit lying inside the house and he quickly put it on, discarding what he currently had on, which was dirty and torn.

His new clothes were a little bit big, but it would do the trick. He then exited the house and joined the large crowd of people streaming through the streets toward the Square. He already had a pretty successful day of pilfering, and it was still just late morning.

Most people had nervous expressions on their faces as the Reapings drew closer, but Aren remained stone faced, not bothering to worry about the Reapings. There was no point in stressing about something he couldn't change. He was never very emotional, and this case was no different.

He hadn't been selected years prior, so why should this time be any different?

* * *

 _ **Ashlynn "Ashe" Steppe (15) District Eight Female**_

The morning sun glinted into the room as Ashlynn stirred awake, her mind processing what day it was. She immediately felt a painful stab in her chest as she realized it was Reaping day.

Ashlynn's life was like one never ending day dream, but today was more like a nightmare. She was always in her own head, thinking about anything that came to mind. From the moment she woke up until the time she went to sleep, her mind was always buzzing. She tackled life head on, always thinking about the most logical and efficient way to solve problems. She was never bothered by regular day-to-day activities, instead wanting to find issues and discover a solution. Anytime Ashlynn could exercise her creative mind, she most definitely would.

Objectivity was always better than subjectivity. Emotions were roadblocks that stood tall in the way of fixing a person's issues. If anyone wanted advice, Ashlynn wasn't the best person to go to. Instead of offering comfort, she would suggest alternatives to fix the problem, which wasn't always received too well.

Ashlynn had a massive fear of failure, and being vulnerable to others could cause unneeded stress. She was constantly reassessing her thoughts and theories, making sure she had accounted for all factors out of fear that she skipped over something.

However, on Reaping Day, things were different. It brought all kinds of emotions from her. Anger, Sadness, Guilt. Although she had done nothing wrong, she still felt as if there is something she could have done to prevent her brother's fate. Of course there really wasn't.

He was six years older than her, and although they had a decently sized age gap, they were extremely close. He was the only one she allowed to call her Ashe.

It was four years ago that he was Reaped. It was the most devastating moment of Ashlynn's life, and took an extreme emotional toll on her and her family. Ashlynn had been forced to watch Stark Lockwood kill off her brother on screen during the finale of the Games. She still remembered watching his life force drain out of him. She was depressed for weeks and wouldn't eat or leave her room. The select few friends she had were pushed away as Ashlynn isolated herself in her feelings.

It got better with time, but around this part of the year when the Reapings rolled around, she felt the same sentiments come back up, although less extreme. Ashlynn's life had completely been changed, as her best friend was gone.

Her mother, Cordelia, entered the room to comfort her. Cordelia was equally saddened by the loss of her son, but she had pushed on and worked through her emotions. Ashlynn laid her head down into her mother's lap, trying her best to stay strong.

"Do you want anything to eat?" Cordelia asked.

"No, I'm not hungry." Ashlynn responded. Any food she would consume probably would come right back up. Her nerves were high as she sat up in her bed, looking at the closet. Cordelia left the room while Ashlynn changed into a black dress and denim jacket.

She walked into the main room to find both of her parents waiting for her with grim looks on their faces.

"Ready to go?" Asked her father.

"I never will be...but I don't have a choice." Ashlynn responded sadly.

* * *

 _ **Aren Demarie (18) District Eight Male**_

Aren surrendered his finger to the woman at the table who was checking everyone in. He walked ahead afterwards, looking up at the stage to see the escort, Calliope already standing there. She watched as people slowly trickled in. Aren laughed internally at her outfit, which was a ragged outfit that made her look like the gypsies who lived on the outskirts of District Eight. _Is she trying to look like one of us?_ He was confused as to why a rich Capitolite would dress down, but he didn't think about it any further as he took his place in the eighteen year old section.

He stood in the very back of his age group. He couldn't even see the stage as the wall of boys in front of him blocked his vision.

After a few minutes, he noticed everyone's head snap towards the stage, so Aren assumed the Reaping had started.

His mind began to wander as the Reaping proceeded. Aren wondered what he would do after the ceremony concluded. Probably steal some more.

Aren then felt the uneasy feeling of many set of eyes burning right through him.

He slowly looked up and noticed multiple boys staring at him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a few Peacekeepers approaching him.

Suddenly, it sunk in that he was reaped. It's not like he could hear his name, and he normally would just try to read the Escort's lips, but he couldn't do that with all of the people in front of him.

The Peacekeepers grabbed onto his arms and began dragging him first to the stage, and then up the steps. Aren took his place next to Calliope, who looked sympathetic. She placed a hand on his shoulder for a moment.

Aren looked over to see that his district partner was crying into her hands.

Calliope gestured towards them to shake hands, and they both did, reluctantly. The girl continued to sob, perplexing Aren.

The Hunger Games was a game that could be played strategic, and crying was not a good way to get favor with the Capitol.

Aren couldn't believe she would display a sign of weakness this early. He was always very emotionless, although internally, he felt a growing dread. He wouldn't show it though. He stared at the camera blankly, almost defiantly, as they pushed him and the girl into the Justice Building.

* * *

 _ _ **Ashlynn "Ashe" Steppe (15) District Eight Female**__

Ashlynn stood in her age section, staring straight ahead. She desperately tried to force her mind to wander and think about anything else besides the current situation. The last thing she needed to do was work herself up.

But standing in the exact place where it all happened clouded her brain with dark thoughts and bad memories.

Calliope was on the stage, finishing the final preparations. She had been District 8's escort for a long time. She was even around during Prescott's reaping.

Ashlynn internally scolded herself, as her thoughts kept coming back to her late brother. In her hand, she held Prescott's own tribute token, a scrap of dark purple fabric with a bent pin stuck through it. The pin was so bent that it really had no use, but it had sentimental value.

Back on the stage, Calliope began to slog through the traditional proceedings. _This process really could be expedited._ Ashlynn thought to herself as her mind began thinking of what parts of the propaganda could be cut out to make the ceremony go by faster.

Ashlynn thought hard, barely listening to what Calliope said as she was busy in her own brain.

Suddenly, Ashlynn's thought process was interrupted as Peacekeepers grabbed onto her right arm, and then her left. They began carrying her to the stage roughly.

Ashlynn was confused for a moment, until she was horrified as she realized what happened.

She was going into the Games.

Tears immediately began to well up in her eyes as she got closer to the stage. She did little to stop them from pouring over as they began to spill down her cheeks like a running river. Calliope looked guilty as Ashlynn was set down right next to her, bawling.

Ashlynn was more sorrowful that she was experiencing what her brother felt, not that she would likely die. Those worries would come later.

For now, she allowed herself time to grieve, even if it was in front of everyone. The camera picked up on her sobbing, and any logical thoughts were ignored as Ashlynn showed her emotions to the crowd.

"Aren Demarie." Calliope read into the microphone.

There was an awkward pause before the Peacekeepers went to fetch the male tribute in the same fashion as they had retrieved Ashlynn.

Through her tears, she saw her partner. He was pulled from the eighteen year old section, but he looked a bit younger than that. His face showed no signs of anything. Not rage, not grief. Nothing.

Ashlynn held out her hand, and he took it. After shaking hands, everything was a blur as they entered the Justice Building.

* * *

 _ _ **Aren Demarie (18) District Eight Male**__

The Justice Building was the nicest place Aren had ever been inside of. He looked around in awe at the expensive decorations and fixtures around him. _So many things to steal._ He thought to himself.

Of course, this was not the time for this. He had much more pressing matters at hand.

Before he entered the Goodbye Room assigned to him, Calliope caught up to him and said something. Aren had no clue what she was saying, and Calliope nodded her head in understanding. She had her suspicions that he was deaf after he didn't react to being reaped. His lack of response made her wonder if he was mute as well.

His potential disabilities only made Calliope feel worse for the poor boy.

After she turned to ask when the trains would arrive, Aren whirled around, entered the room, and sat down. This room was also nicely furnished.

He didn't take time to appreciate it, instead opting to stare ahead blankly. He already knew no one was coming to see him. No family, No friends.

He was alone.

Normally, his lack of bonds with other people didn't bother him. He preferred to be alone. However, being reaped and having one final chance to say goodbye to his loved ones only magnified the fact that he didn't have any.

He felt the foreign feeling of tears beginning to build up in his eyes, something that hadn't happened in forever.

Aren quickly blinked them away and fought the feeling, instead trying to start thinking about what his course of action would be for the next week leading up to the Games.

He put his head in his hands, mulling over his current situation. Being Reaped had put his current life on hold. Of course, this wasn't really disrupting any long term goals; Aren lived day by day, hour to hour. Of course, he still didn't want to go in the Arena and have a chance of death.

However, he felt decently confident in his chances. He was sneaky and fast, which would help. Of course, not being able to hear would be a problem, but he would just have to pay extra attention to his surroundings.

He had just as good of a chance as anyone else.

Calliope noticed that Aren had no visitors. It was a first for her. She had never seen that in all of her years of escorting. This only deepened her sorrow for Aren, unbeknownst to him. If he had been aware of her pity, he probably would have been annoyed.

After a few more agonizing minutes, Aren was directed towards the trains, as his trip to the Capitol would soon commence.

* * *

 _ _ **Ashlynn "Ashe" Steppe (15) District Eight Female**__

 _You are going to end up like him._

Ashlynn's negative thoughts threatened to break her, but she managed to keep her head up long enough as her parents sprinted into her room.

"Oh Ashlynn..." Cornelia said as she gave her daughter a hug.

"This isn't fair! Both of my damn children!" Ashlynn's father spat, filled with anger. "This has to be rigged..."

"Was it wrong of me to cry? Did I...mess up?" Ashlynn asked, seeking approval.

"No...of course not." Cornelia answered. "It's only natural. But you can't show the Capitol this side of you again. Can you try to do that?"

Ashlynn nodded sadly.

"I'll try my best to come back home..."

"You _will_ come back home. I know your smart enough to find a way out of there." Her father encouraged.

"He's right." Cornelia agreed. "Win this...win it for your brother."

"Remember; screw the Capitol." Her father said lastly as they were escorted out of the room.

Ashlynn took in the last sight of her parents as the door shut, leaving her with just her own thoughts. She considered what her parents said.

She felt an odd feeling of empowerment at the thought of avenging her brother. Perhaps she could take down her enemies in his honor.

Ashlynn thought once again about how her brother was killed by Stark.

She would get her revenge.

Starting with District One.

* * *

 **Another step closer to the Capitol! Next time, we will meet our two tributes from District Eleven!**

 **Thanks for reading, and as always, a review would be appreciated!**

 **Peace out!**

 **-Pierana**


	14. District 11 Reaping

**Welcome back to SHIFTING SANDS!**

 **Hope you enjoy yourself in District 11!**

 **Today's tributes were sent in by Axe Smelling God (North) and Galaxy842 (Wren)!**

* * *

 _ **North Lindell (17) District Eleven Female**_

"Come on Holden, we have to go."

"I don't want too!" The young twelve year old boy whined.

North scowled. "You don't have a choice! And I don't either." She then realized that she should offer up a little bit of sympathy for her little brother. It was his first Reaping where he could be selected, after all. "Just please get dressed. The last thing we need is to be late."

"Alright..." Holden sighed as he went to get dressed into his nicest clothes for the Reaping.

North was already in her outfit, a peach colored dress. It wasn't the nicest thing, or the most comfortable, but it would have to do.

Holden returned wearing nice clothes that looked far too small on him. "You look great." North said plainly.

Holden looked like a young male version of herself. They had the same light brown colored skin with a black curly afro and high cheekbones with dark brown eyes. It was obvious to anyone that they were siblings.

She began to lead her brother toward the exit of the group home they lived in. It was really just an orphanage, but saying group home made it sound a little bit nicer. Anything that could make it better was welcome.

North was always bitter about how her parents left her and her brother here out of nowhere with no explanation. One day, they were a family of four, and the next day, they were sharing a bunk in a room with other children who were strangers to them. This caused North to be wary of others, specifically adults, as she knew they had the capability to stab her in the back at any second.

She couldn't believe how heartless some people were to do something like that to two innocent children. This event is probably what caused North's anger issues. She usually responded to most situations with anger, but she was working on it. She tried to keep up a soft side, for Holden's sake. He didn't do anything wrong, and he deserved to have a sisterly figure to take care of him like a real parent should have.

In actuality, Holden helped keep North in check. He was young, but he was able to keep up with her multiple contrasting traits. Sometimes, she was intense; then the next day she would be easygoing. She was both hard and soft, both vulnerable and strong, both logical and impulsive. It was admittedly hard to deal with, but Holden always kept a smile up.

In turn, she would make sacrifices for him. She always find herself standing up for the underdog in a situation, against her better judgement. Whenever the woman in charge of the home would scold her brother or one of the younger children, North was always there to defend them. Usually, she would regret this later, but it would at least be worth it in the moment.

She normally made up for her occasional acting out by taking out tesserae to earn her keep with the owner. North didn't even want to think of how many times her name was at risk of being selected this year. Luckily, lots of other children had to do the same thing in District Eleven, where families were big and food was scarce.

"It's hot out today." Holden observed as they trudged to the square, snapping North back into reality.

"Yeah, I'm dying out here." North said, feeling overwhelmed in the sweltering heat.

"Are we almost there?" Holden asked.

"We've still got awhile to go." North said. Their home District was pretty large, due to the countless amounts of orchards that filled the land.

Despite the frequent whippings of workers, it was a peaceful place compared to what was to come for her in the near future.

* * *

 ** _Wren Arthur (16) District Eleven Male_**

"Pass me another." Wren commanded.

He watched closely as his friend, Pepper, handed him another beer.

Wren had a wide smile on his face, which was a rarity. He never smiled, but unwinding with his friends on the day he shouldn't just felt right.

"Are you sure you want to be _that_ drunk for the Reaping?" Willow, another one of his friends, said with a slight laugh.

"I don't care, honestly." Wren countered. The thought of submitting to the Capitol made him feel nothing but disgust. He had gone from enjoying himself to feeling mad in an instant, although they should expect this from him. He had been having swings like this for awhile now. "They can kiss my ass." Wren added as he began to down a bottle of the bitter drink.

"I'm with you on that one." Noel, the leader of their little group of four, agreed. Wren went for another drink and felt himself slowly slipping away with each bottle. He knew he was addicted to alcohol, but he never did anything to stop himself. Alcohol was the only form of escape he had, after all. His entire life revolved around his drink breaks. There was nothing else to look forward to in life. Anytime he got attached to something, it would go away in someway or another. Alcohol wouldn't leave him.

Wren slogged through his entire shift at the orchards, every day, just waiting until he got to meet with his friends and forget about his worries for a little while. He had long shifts at the orchards, as he had been working there for a few years now. Wren was forced to drop out of school at a young age after his father died of cancer. That just left Wren with his mother Carrita, who worked hard to provide for her son, but it wasn't enough, and he had no choice but to pitch in. Soon after this was when he discovered alcohol after he was dared to steal a few beers from the rundown bar in District Eleven. Something had lit up in him when he had his first sip. He soon found himself instantly addicted at age fourteen. The beers had filled the void that his father's death had caused.

However, the alcohol also had altered the way he acted. He often had rebellious moments in the district, usually while under the influence, which resulted him being whipped a few times in the square. Everyone around him notice the change, but they had learned to deal with it by now.

"Well, that's the last of it." Pepper deduced as she looked at the empty bottles at their feet. The four of them had created quite the stockpile for Reaping Day and they flew through it quickly.

The group of four all split up and went home to get ready the Reaping, each of them feeling the affects of the drinks setting in.

Wren stumbled through the doorway, finding his mom lying down resting.

"Oh, hey, honey." Carrita said, looking up from her resting position.

"H-hey mom." Wren slurred.

"We'll leave for the Reaping soon." Caritta announced, resting her hand on her forehead.

"Whatever." Wren responded as he turned away, going to put on his Reaping clothes.

His mother felt a flicker of confusion. She knew he was prone to his angry outbursts, but normally he was respectful towards her.

Wren paid no mind to her as he changed into a tatty old brown shirt and blue jeans, the nicest clothes he owned. He hated dressing up. Why should he look nice for the Capitol?

"Have you been drinking again? I told you to stop that." Caritta scolded him as she entered the room.

"Okay." He stated simply.

Caritta didn't even know what to say to his lack of response and she turned and left the room. She was unaware of how bad Wren's addiction was.

And he didn't plan on sharing that anytime soon.

* * *

 _ **North Lindell (17) District Eleven Female**_

After the long walk in the heat, North and Holden reached their destination.

"I don't want them to draw any of my blood!" Holden said, slightly panicked.

North had forgot to tell him about this part. "It's fine...you won't even feel it."

She slowly began pulling Holden toward the desks. He followed reluctantly. North signed in and watched as her brother has his blood drawn. He flinched a little, but seemed fine. "I told you it wasn't bad." North said. "Now we have to split up. I'll meet you afterward, right here. Okay?"

Holden shook his head and joined the other twelve year old boys. North walked up and entered the seventeen year old girl section. She didn't talk to anyone, as she didn't know any of these girls. They all lived with their parents, not at the group home. It just yet again reminded North of her being left behind.

She begin to feel angry feelings stir within her. Her emotions were a good distraction from the fear of being picked as she waited for the ceremony to begin.

Hyacinth, the escort, was staring out at the teenagers in the crowd with doe eyes. She looked uncertain about what to say but she tapped the mic, causing the crowd to go silent.

North turned her attention to the stage. Hyacinth was wearing a light blue dress with multiple odd shapes protruding off of it. She had dark skin and buzzed short black hair. "Welcome, ladies and gentleman, to the Reaping." She said lightly but sternly.

"We will start right away," Hyacinth announced. "First, with the female tribute." She said as she stepped toward the female bowl that was nearly overflowing with names. She grabbed the first one off the top and returned to her spot. "The Female tribute for District Eleven is...North Lindell."

North's eyes flew wide. She was completely taken aback by her selection. She started to step out of her spot and she began her way towards the stage, trying to look fearless.

"North..." Holden whispered quietly from where he was standing. North turned to see her brother standing next to her. She reached her hand out and placed her hand on his for a brief moment before the Peacekeepers urged her to go forward.

North still felt completely surprised about being picked as she locked eyes with her younger brother in the crowd. Unsurprisingly, there were no one volunteered to take her place.

Hyacinth didn't say anything to her as she went to the male bowl and mixed the slips up for a second before snatching up a name. "The male tribute is...Wren Arthur."

Everyone in the District turned toward the male side of the square. A boy in the seventeen year old section began stumbling toward the stage, muttering incoherent things under his breath. He looked completely out of it. Peacekeepers surrounded him and began escorting him toward the stage. One grabbed his arms, and the reaped boy angrily shoved his arm away, frustrating the peacekeeper.

They forced him up the steps. "Shake hands." Hyacinth commanded, eyeing them up and down.

"T-the n...names Wren." The boy slurred as he held his hand out. North shook it with a confused scowl on her face. _Is he drunk or something?_

North studied the boy, who looked angry about being reaped.

She didn't dwell on the subject any longer as she was pushed into the Justice Building alongside her most likely wasted district partner.

* * *

 ** _Wren Arthur (16) District Eleven Male_**

Memories of being publicly punished for various rebellious acts swarmed over Wren as he took a look at the square. He joined the other sixteen year old boys, waiting for Hyacinth to start speaking. Although Wren had the same caramel skin and brown hair and eyes as lots of people in the District, he was a bit more muscular due to lifting crates in the orchards all day. Most of the other boys didn't recognize him, since they had forgotten about him dropping out of school by now.

Wren didn't care, he didn't feel like starting a conversation now. He stared ahead with dazed, intoxicated eyes, wanting the Reaping to be done so he wouldn't be forced to spend another minute here.

After what felt like an eternity, Hyacinth started, rushing through the mandatory introductions and going to the most important part. "First, with the female tribute..." Hyacinth trailed off as she grabbed a slip."North Lindell."

A seventeen year old girl began walking toward the stage. She looked shocked.

Wren hardly acknowledged her being Reaped, lost in his own mindset and not paying any attention.

Soon, Hyacinth grabbed a slip from the second bowl. Wren looked up slowly, half interested in what was going on. She opened the piece of paper. "The male tribute is...Wren Arthur."

Realization dawned onto Wren as he learned that he was picked. He began to feel anger boil in his veins. He stepped out of the crowd and began staggering up to the stage. Everyone's eyes were on him, but he paid no mind to them. "Stupid reaping..." He mumbled under his breath, not bothering to hide the large scowl on his face. He would not hold back when it came to revealing how he felt about the Capitol.

One of the Peacekeepers placed his hand on Wren, physically shoving him towards the stage. Wren pushed him off, glaring at the man in the white uniform, which only frustrated the Peacekeeper further.

He gave the cameras a glare as he reached the top of the stage, Hyacinth directing him near his district partner. "Shake hands."

The girl held her hand out and gave Wren an odd look as he shook her hand. _What the hell is her problem?_

The last thing Wren needed right now was judgement from this random girl who was in the situation as him.

He returned her angry scowl as he staggered into the Justice Building, still processing what had just unfolded.

* * *

 _ **North Lindell (17) District Eleven Female**_

North settled herself inside the Gooodbye Room, trying to calm down. She didn't look to be panicked, but she felt uneasy inside. She tapped her foot, waiting for her younger brother to crash through into the room.

Holden opened the door and ran to North, throwing his arms around her. North saw tears in his eyes, and she hastily wiped them away. She felt more angry than anything. The Capitol was ripping her away from her poor younger brother.

 _Haven't we been through enough?_

"Please don't go..." Holden murmured softly.

"Don't say that!" North snapped. "Don't make me feel guilty. I didn't cause this."

Holden looked surprised by her sudden outburst.

"Look, I'm sorry. It's just, you know how unfair this shit is?" North said, staring down at the floor.

"You don't deserve to die!" Holden piped up.

"I know." North said darkly. "But neither do you. You have to promise me that you'll take care of yourself when I'm gone. You won't have me watch after you."

"Okay." Holden said.

North wrapped her arms around him as the Peacekeepers began to tug him away. "No!" She yelled angrily. She tried to reach out for him, but she knew deep down that her efforts were futile.

She sat down feeling conflicting emotions of anger and sadness. She was also surprised by her guilt over leaving Holden behind. _Maybe if I didn't take so much tesserae..._

North realized with horror that she probably caused all of this. She did it to herself, and now both her and Holden were suffering.

 _Snap out of it!_ North screamed internally. She tried to stop herself from overthinking. It would only cloud her mind from focusing on the task at hand.

She had to win. There was no other option.

* * *

 ** _Wren Arthur (16) District Eleven Male_**

Wren clenched his fists as he stood in one of the rooms, alone for the time being. It was unfair that he was going through this. Hadn't he faced enough in life? His dad died of cancer, he had to drop out of school, and now this?

He felt unimaginable anger, although his face softened slightly when his mother walked in, a few tears on her face. "I'm sorry for anything I ever said..."

"It's fine!" Wren snapped. "I have much bigger problems now."

"That's right." Caritta said, her voice full of despair. "Promise me you'll behave yourself and win?"

"I'll win. No doubt." Wren promised. "But I'm not doing anything they tell me to do."

"Just...be careful." She said, and Wren nodded.

"Of course." Wren nodded.

And just like that, his mother was told to leave, causing his rage to return at the sight of it.

The sudden arrival of his friends, Noel, Pepper, and Willow, only caused these feelings to heighten. They looked just as furious at him.

"What the hell is this!" Pepper shouted angrily.

"These Games are so damn stupid." Noel said.

"You better come back here." Willow demanded.

"Oh I will." Wren said, crossing his arms. "I'll do whatever it takes to get out of there."

"And more importantly, give those Capitol assholes a piece of your mind." Noel said with a sly grin.

"That's a given." Wren responded, a small, mischievous smile growing on his face.

"That's our boy." Noel said, slapping his back.

"Alright, that's enough." One of the Peacekeepers said, forcing the drunk teens out of the room.

"We'll drink in your honor until you come back." Pepper said lastly before the door closed.

The Capitol may be able to force Wren into these Games, but they wouldn't be able to silence him.

* * *

 **Only a few more Reapings left! Next time, we will tackle the last Career District (Two)**

 **Tell me your thoughts in a review!  
**

 **Thanks for Reading!**

 **-Pierana**


End file.
